The Mets could be looking at a catcher swap that would put Shea Langeliers in Queens, and Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly thinks it would be a move worth making.
Kelly’s idea centers on a simple question: if the Athletics eventually decide they can’t lock Langeliers up long term, would they move him before he gets too expensive? The A’s may want to keep the 28-year-old backstop as their everyday catcher when they relocate to Las Vegas, but he still hasn’t signed an extension. If no deal gets done before the 2028 season, Langeliers could turn into a trade chip with real value.
That’s where the Mets come in. Kelly suggested New York should be interested in Langeliers, calling it “a very nice move this offseason” if David Stearns is trying to save his job in 2027.
“The aforementioned [William] Contreras just showed how valuable having a tremendous hitter at the catching position can be.
“With [David] Stearns trying to save his job in 2027, acquiring Langeliers with two guaranteed seasons would be a very nice move this offseason,” Kelly wrote.
Langeliers has been one of the most productive offensive catchers in the game. He’s hit at least 22 home runs in each of the last four seasons and has posted 10.6 bWAR over that stretch. Kelly pointed to him as one of the top-hitting catchers in baseball, behind only Hunter Goodman and Cal Raleigh.
In Kelly’s proposal, the Mets would send Francisco Alvarez to Oakland in return. The fit, at least on paper, is obvious enough: Alvarez hasn’t earned strong defensive grades either, but his bat still carries plenty of upside.
“It would make sense for the A’s to target Francisco Alvarez in return for Langeliers. Alvarez, like Langeliers, doesn’t get great marks behind the plate.
“But he has immense offensive upside, with 63 home runs since the start of the 2023 season. He’s also only 24 years old and can’t become a free agent until after the 2029 season, a year later than Langeliers,” Kelly added.
The Mets might need to include one prospect to get the deal done, but the payoff would be clear: a younger catcher with a strong power track record and two guaranteed seasons left.
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