He’s here (again) and he’s perfect (still).
In the hours after the Mets got swept out of American Family Field by the Brewers, reports surfaced of Francisco Alvarez heading from Syracuse to New York. Why, you ask? Omar Narvaez left Wednesday’s finale with a calf injury and the club was uncertain of the severity.
There was nothing definite because the Mets likely wanted to re-evaluate Narvaez upon returning to New York. That didn’t bring good news for the veteran backstop:
Given the timing of the announcement, was this part of the reason why the Mets decided to postpone their home opener by a day? We’ll probably never know, but it checks out for those interested in believing conspiracy theories.
The Mets have been consistently adamant about the 21-year-old needing more development before landing in the majors for good. They clearly see him as part of the long-term solution in Flushing, and it’s usually hard to put the finishing touches on a player’s development while shuffling between Triple-A and the big leagues.
If all went according to New York’s original plan, we wouldn’t have seen Alvarez back with the Mets until around September. But here he is, back after just seven games, and just in time for the home opener (the ovation he’s going to get will be outrageous).
While this is unfortunate for Narvaez, this is a prime opportunity for Alvarez to stick in the big leagues for good. It’s not like he only has a couple of weeks to prove himself — the dude’s got two months to show he’s one of the best options and belongs to stay right where he is.
It’s not like the Mets’ offense couldn’t use a little injection of youthful energy, ya know. It was nice to see some bats come to life in Wednesday’s finale, but New York needs another right-handed bat that could provide some pop. That’s what Alvarez brings to the table.
Between injuries and getting swept in Milwaukee, this first week of the regular season hasn’t at all gone according to plan. And while they would’ve liked to have kept Alvarez in Triple-A longer, anything and everything is on the table for a win-now team trying to get back to October.
The Mets certainly fall into that category, and it’s good that they’re just going for it. You know, instead of trying to find ways to keep him in Syracuse. This is the opportunity Francisco Alvarez has been waiting for. It’s time for him to show he’s ready and give the Mets no option other than keeping him around once Narvaez is healthy again.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.