WASHINGTON — A handful of months ago, people intimately familiar with winter ball in Venezuela viewed catcher Luis Torrens during that time period as the guy. For the Tiburones de la Guaira, which won the league in Venezuela and the Caribbean Series, Torrens expertly managed pitchers and hit in the middle of the lineup. To scouts and other evaluators, Torrens stood out as someone who would be worth keeping tabs on.
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New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, a native of Venezuela, watched all of the Tiburones’ games on television. He paid a lot of attention to Torrens, a player he has known for several years, dating to their shared time with the New York Yankees. Mendoza noticed the consistent offensive production, the defensive improvements.
From the Mets’ side, Mendoza wasn’t alone in his assessment of Torrens. For example, Eduardo Brizuela, a VP and special assistant to president of baseball operations David Stearns, always has a firm handle on developments in Venezuela, his native country. The club kept monitoring Torrens after winter ball, when he returned to the Yankees, where he further enhanced his framing skills in the minor leagues. So when Torrens became available last week (he would have had the right to request his release on June 15 if he were not put on the major-league roster), the Mets were prepared to move.
Since the Mets acquired Torrens in a trade for cash on June 1, the 28-year-old has wasted no time rewarding the club’s faith in him.
LUIS TORRENS' FIRST HOMER AS A MET! pic.twitter.com/Xq8yYHRBK3
— SNY (@SNYtv) June 5, 2024
In the Mets’ 9-1 win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday, Torrens hit two home runs and denied a runner from stealing second base. Luis Severino, who tossed eight efficient innings, complimented Torrens’ game-calling. “Pretty nice game overall,” was the way Mendoza put it.
Torrens’ opportunity with the Mets isn’t guaranteed to last long. Francisco Alvarez (thumb) is due to return Tuesday. Once Alvarez is back, the Mets will have to decide between Tomás Nido and Torrens (neither can be optioned to the minors) for their backup catcher. Nido, who has been in the Mets’ organization since the team drafted him in 2012, has a 0.5 fWAR, the product of solid defense; he’s been better offensively so far in 2024 but still owns just a .623 OPS through 90 plate appearances. In Torrens, who hasn’t received much of an opportunity since hitting 15 home runs in 2021, the Mets see someone with athleticism and an intriguing offensive profile as someone who hits with impact.
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Even if his stay ends up being short, Torrens’ contributions already made him a worthwhile addition. He has presented an upgrade over Omar Narváez (two home runs in 215 plate appearances with New York over two seasons), whom the Mets released Wednesday after designating him for assignment upon acquiring Torrens.
Torrens offers improvements in the margins. It helps. But ultimately the fate of the Mets (27-35) will depend on fixing their bullpen and whether their main position players — Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo — can continue to produce the way they have most recently (New York averaged 7.6 runs per game in their three-game sweep of the Nationals).
Also, even though Alvarez must wear a splint, he still should soak up the majority of playing time — as long as he can do so responsibly in regard to his injury — further diminishing a backup’s importance. By early Wednesday morning, Mendoza had already spoken to Alvarez and heard from minor-league coaches about the combined no-hitter in Brooklyn that Alvarez caught. The first thing one coach told Mendoza after studying how invested Alvarez seemed to be in the High-A pitching staff: “What a special guy.” Alvarez is off Thursday, but will catch nine innings with Triple-A Syracuse on Friday and Saturday. He will then DH on Sunday. After that, he’s expected to rejoin the Mets.
Regardless of how Torrens’ tenure ends, his story matters in the Mets’ big picture because it offers a glimpse into the club’s new leaders’ decision-making.
Throughout Stearns’ tenure with the Milwaukee Brewers, he led a group (Brizuela was part of that front office too) that excelled at plucking guys off scrap heaps. Often, those moves happened at urgent times, similar to how the Mets added Torrens with their season spiraling at a time when they could’ve just stuck with Nido and dumped Narváez upon Alvarez’s return. Those fringe players in Milwaukee didn’t always last. But they helped — maybe playing a major role during a couple wins, maybe contributing for a month or two. Stearns and his group had to have a sound process for those kinds of acquisitions (which includes collaboration among departments), and some had to pan out, given Milwaukee’s financial restrictions.
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New York, under owner Steve Cohen, has far more leeway. And the Mets are a team that must get production out of stars. But, it’s important for Stearns and the Mets’ brain trust to make the right kind of smaller moves, too — and at the right times.
(Photo of Torrens celebrating a home run: Geoff Burke / USA Today)