Luis Torrens Traded to Mets from Yankees; NYM Make Multiple MLB Roster Moves

Paul KasabianFeatured Columnist IIMay 31, 2024

Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

The fourth-place New York Mets, who are in the midst of a 5-15 slide that’s dropped them down to 23-33 after a .500 start, have made numerous moves Friday.

First, the Mets have acquired New York Yankees catcher Luis Torrens via trade for cash. The Mets designated catcher Omar Narvaez for assignment in a corresponding move. SNY’s Andy Martino first reported the deal.

Second, the Mets are sending right-handed starting pitcher Christian Scott and third baseman Brett Baty to Triple-A Syracuse,

ESPN’s Jeff Passan. explained the Scott demotion, which looks confusing on the surface after the 24-year-old managed a 3.90 ERA in five starts while striking out 25 in 27.2 innings:

“He is expected to return to the big leagues soon, as the stint in the minor leagues aligns with an upcoming stretch in which the Mets have extra days off due to their games in London and also helps keep Scott’s season-long innings total in check.”

Infielder José Iglesias and relief pitcher Dedniel Núñez are stepping in for Baty and Scott.

Here’s a summary of the Mets’ moves, per SNY:

SNY Mets @SNY_MetsRoster moves for the Mets today:

IN:
José Iglesias (purchased contract)
Luis Torrens (trade from Yankees)
Dedniel Núñez (recalled)

OUT:
Christian Scott (optioned to Triple-A)
Brett Baty (optioned to Triple-A)
Omar Narváez (designated for assignment) pic.twitter.com/PATEzmualM

Torrens, 28, has played for Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre this season, hitting .279 (.807 OPS) alongside five home runs and 19 RBI in 30 games.

He’s played six major league seasons with the San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs, hitting .227 (.643 OPS) with 19 home runs and 79 RBI in 269 games.

Torrens replaces Narvaez, a nine-year veteran who was hitting just .154 (.376 OPS) in 28 games.

The 24-year-old Baty jumped to the majors in 2022, but his bat hasn’t gotten going. He’s hit just .128 since May 6 alongside a .439 OPS. Baty, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2019 MLB draft, is a .214 lifetime hitter over 168 games.

Iglesias, who has spent 11 seasons on a big league diamond, replaces him. He’s hit well lifetime (.279) but hasn’t played in the bigs since 2022. Still, he’s shown some pop in the minors, hitting seven homers and posting a .751 OPS in 42 games for Triple-A Syracuse this year.

Ultimately, the Mets needed to make some moves with the team floundering. They already made one Thursday by designating reliever Jorge Lopez for assignment after he threw his glove into the stands following an ejection during a 10-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now more moves have gone down as the Mets look to salvage a season that could very well be over by the dog days of summer at this rate.