NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It almost wouldn’t be another Winter Meetings if the Mets weren’t concerned about their catching situation.
The carousel has been on high speed since 2007, when the reliable Paul Lo Duca departed and the Mets added light-hitting Brian Schneider. The names behind the plate since then have included Ramon Castro, Omir Santos, Rod Barajas, Henry Blanco, Ronny Paulino, Mike Nickeas, Kelly Shoppach and Josh Thole.
Near the top of general manager Sandy Alderson’s list as he arrived last night for the meetings is finding a catcher who, at the very least, can share time with the incumbent Thole next season, if not take the starting job outright.
Alderson gambled in 2012 and lost, hoping a combination of Thole and Nickeas would be adequate. But Thole, despite making what the organization deemed significant defensive strides, was a mess offensively, batting .234 with one home run and 21 RBIs in 104 games.
Thole suffered a concussion in a collision with the Phillies’ Ty Wigginton early in the season, only adding to his misery. The Mets haven’t abandoned hope he still can be a productive major league player, but also aren’t intrigued by the possibility of Thole again serving as the primary catcher.
Nickeas, a more polished defensive catcher, batted just .174 in 47 games before the Mets gave the veteran Shoppach a look over the final six weeks. Shoppach hit only .203 with three homers and 10 RBIs in 28 games.
The Mets’ best route to improvement at the position would be through a trade. That likely would entail trading Jon Niese or R.A. Dickey — the Mets consider their rotation an area of strength — and pursuing an option such as Toronto’s J.P. Arencibia or Boston’s Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
The 26-year-old Arencibia hit .233 with 18 homers and 56 RBIs last season and is part of a Blue Jays catching glut with highly regarded prospect Travis d’Arnaud and John Buck.
If the Mets were to deal Niese or Dickey for Arencibia the Blue Jays would have to include a package of players.
The 27-year-old Saltalamacchia hit .222 with 25 homers and 59 RBIs in 121 games for the Red Sox, who have excess catching after signing free agent David Ross last month. The Red Sox would favor Niese over Dickey in a return package, according to an industry source.
If the Mets were to venture into free-agent waters, the most likely scenario would involve signing a righty hitter, such as Miguel Olivo, who could platoon with Thole. The Mets are not inclined to chase veteran A.J. Pierzynski, who is likely beyond their financial grasp.
There is also the possibility of signing a non-tendered catcher, such as Jesus Flores. Shoppach hasn’t been ruled out for a return, but the organization would first like to see if it can do better at the position.
* David Wright is scheduled to have his physical today, the final step before signing his new contract with the Mets for eight years and $138 million. The Mets are planning a news conference tomorrow at the Winter Meetings to officially announce Wright’s contract.