The Mets and catcher Luis Torrens have agreed to a two-year, $11.5MM contract extension, according to The Athletic’s Will Sammon. The deal breaks down as $5.75MM in each of the 2027 and 2028 seasons, as per the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, plus another $2MM is available in bonuses. Torrens is represented by Octagon.
Torrens was set to become a free agent at season’s end, but the new deal will keep him in Queens through the 2028 season. Today is Torrens’ 30th birthday, so landing the first multi-year contract of his nine-year career in the majors is quite the present for the veteran catcher. Acquired in a cash transaction from the Yankees in May 2024, Torrens has hit .225/.281/.347 over 444 plate appearances and 152 games in a Mets uniform.
Francisco Alvarez‘s injury-plagued 2025 season opened the door for Torrens to receive a lot of regular playing time. Torrens’ 92 games played in 2025 was the second-highest total of his career, after his 108 appearances with the Mariners in 2021. Over Torrens’ other seven seasons in the majors, however, he played in only 221 games, limited to backup or part-time duty.
The $11.5MM price tag may seem steep for a light-hitting backup catcher, yet Torrens is also one of baseball’s better defensive backstops. Torrens was a finalist for NL Gold Glove honors at the catching position in 2025, with Statcast crediting him with +11 Catching Runs for his excellent framing and outstanding ability to gun down baserunners. Since the start of the 2024 season, Torrens has thrown out 37 of 84 baserunners attempting to steal.
While Torrens’ extension pales in comparison to the other big contracts on the Mets’ books, it does represent another notable outlay given the team’s luxury tax situation. Because this will be New York’s fifth straight season exceeding the highest level of tax penalization, the club is paying a 110% levy on any new spending, so Torrens’ contract comes with a $12.65MM tax bill. Given how badly the Mets have struggled in 2026, the team could be deadline sellers, but it remains to be seen how much (if any) payroll reduction might take place that could impact their tax status to any great extent.
Because Alvarez isn’t the answer.
He definitely is and Torrens will continue to back him up. Alvarez is still only 24, btw. Many catchers don’t even debut until around this age.
Not bad for a guy that was a Rule 5 guy a few years ago.
True, but that wasn’t a few years ago, that was nearly a decade ago now.
Sure, but also not bad for a guy who was traded for cash considerations just a couple years ago.
100%, the Mets have made Torrens a very sound defensive catcher.
He got caught in a numbers game with the Cubs, but I’m happy to see that he has been successful with the Mets.
me too… and he’s set now, congratulations to Luis
Wow, bat .200, make $5.5 mil a year! The Mets are like a museum of bad contracts, so this fits right in.
Very solid defensive back-up catcher. Ain’t nothing wrong with this deal for the Mets’ high payroll which they’ll continue to run.
He’s one of the best defensive catchers in the majors. You don’t know what you’re talking about. Also how could a two year deal for that low be a “bad contract”?
First off, citing batting average is an instant lol nowadays. Second off, 5.5 mill is chump change.
Great! Best backup catcher in baseball. Shuts down the running game completely.
FYI but today is Torrens’s 30th birthday! A nice present for him after working hard for many years.
Could this be their 2026 grimace moment?
I think they’ve been grimacing quite a bit all year.
He’s a very solid defensive oriented backup, who occasionally comes up with clutch hits. He’s got a cannon for an arm, and seems to have good baseball IQ. Not a big financial layout on their part for 2 years.
You have to hand it to the Mets. They’re always finding new ways to keep being the Mets.
Torrens can step in as the starting catcher if Alvarez is traded. Stops the run game and calls great games.
Alvarez could have been the answer but he just is not a good catcher. How many pass balls does he have every year. You can’t be framing pitches that are 3 feet off the plate anymore with ABS, just catch them. Alvarez should still bring in a MLB ready player or attaching a bad contract or 2 to his trade to try to get under draft pick penalties for next offseason.