The New York Mets have been big spenders, but they also remain committed to the idea of building from within long term. Top prospects Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty don't seem to have a very good chance to make this year's Opening Day roster, but the team is reluctant to trade them. The Miami Marlins have tried multiple times to acquire Baty and were prepared to offer one of their young starters in return. The Marlins came close to landing Brendan Rodgers from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for starter Edward Cabrera, but it ultimately fell through. Alvarez and Baty are both highly attractive in dynasty/keeper leagues and could also be worth stashing in deep mixed leagues in 2023. Alvarez has the better shot to crack the Opening Day roster because of his ability to play both catcher and outfield.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez and third baseman Brett Baty will both be given a realistic chance to make the Opening Day roster out of spring training. But with more opportunity in left field this year, Alvarez likely has the better chance to begin the 2023 season in the big leagues. When it looked like shortstop Carlos Correa was signing with the Mets, the Miami Marlins were interested in trading for Baty and infielder Eduardo Escobar. Alvarez is considered the No. 1 prospect in baseball heading into the 2023 season, per MLB Pipeline, so it makes sense for him to have a pretty good shot at starting the year with the Mets. Baty is the team's No. 2 prospect. Alvarez (five games) and Baty (11 games) got their feet wet in the Show in 2022, but they should both see much more playing time this year and are considered key future pieces in Queens.

The New York Mets have called up catching prospect Francisco Alvarez, and he's making his major-league debut on Friday against the Atlanta Braves and left-hander Max Fried. Alvarez is serving as the designated hitter and is batting seventh in the lineup. Alvarez is the top prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, and the 20-year-old backstop will be thrown right into the fire after hitting a combined .260/.374/.511 with an .885 OPS, 27 home runs, 78 RBI and 74 runs scored in 112 games between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse this year on the farm. There's a chance he could struggle initially in his first time seeing big-league pitching, but Alvarez is certainly the future at the position for the Mets.

The New York Mets are calling up top catching prospect Francisco Alvarez ahead of their weekend series versus the Braves, which starts Friday. The report is that he would receive at-bats as the designated hitter against left-handers as a tune-up before the team enters the postseason. The 20-year-old is regarded as one of the top hitting prospects in all of baseball, and he slashed .260/.374/.511 with 27 homers in 112 games split between Double-A and Triple-A this season. It will be intriguing to see if Alvarez will get the nod Friday night with lefty Max Fried on the bump in a pivotal series in Atlanta, but it's too late for him to make any sort of impact in redraft leagues.

New York Mets catching prospect Francisco Alvarez (ankle), the top prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline, has been diagnosed with a loose body in his right ankle, according to the team. The tentative plan is for Alvarez to resume baseball activities in three to four days. His return to play will be determined by his response to an injection and baseball activities. The good news is that it looks like he'll avoid surgery, at least for now. The 20-year-old hasn't played at Triple-A Syracuse since Aug. 23, but there's still a chance he can return for Syracuse before the end of the season. Fantasy managers in single-year leagues can pretty much abandon hope that he'll contribute down the stretch in the majors, especially since he's hit just .180 (20-for-111) with six homers and 21 RBI in 32 games for Syracuse since his promotion.

New York Mets catcher prospect Francisco Alvarez has struggled since his promotion to Triple-A Syracuse on August 5. The top prospect in the game, Alvarez cruised through Double-A with a .277 batting average to go along with 16 doubles, 18 homers, 47 RBI and a .921 OPS. That was enough for the Mets to promote him to Triple-A and even discuss his promotion to the big leagues sooner than expected. The Mets haven't got much production offensively from the catcher position, but Alvarez hasn't done much in Triple-A to warrant an imminent promotion. In 29 games for Triple-A Syracuse, Alvarez has hit a lowly .167 with five homers and 18 RBI. Regardless of the poor numbers, he would be worth running to the waiver wire for in redraft leagues and dynasty managers should already be rostering Alvarez. If not promoted this season, it would be a shocker to not see him in a Mets uniform next year.

New York Mets catcher prospect Francisco Alvarez went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer for Triple-A Syracuse on Friday. The games top prospect absolutely crushed his fifth home run for Syracuse and the talented backstop has yet to a miss a beat since him promotion from Double-A on July 2. Alvarez has torn the cover off the ball in 2022 and has hit .259 with 23 homers and 63 RBI between Double-A and Triple-A. Entering the season, it appeared that the 20-year-old would spend the season on the farm, but the Mets didn't acquire a catcher at the trade deadline and there is certainly a chance that the 20-year-old could make his debut with the big-league club before the season ends. Dynasty managers should already have Alvarez rostered and managers in redraft leagues would be wise to stash Alvarez, if they have the space due to his potential and position.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez is reportedly being promoted to Triple-A. This is exciting news as Alvarez is currently the top catching prospect in baseball. He has 18 home runs and a .926 OPS in Double-A this season. The promotion to Triple-A puts Alvarez one step away from the big league roster. The 20-year-old could very well join the Mets roster by the end of the season. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on Alvarez as he could join the Mets roster here sooner rather than later.

New York Mets catching prospect Francisco Alvarez remains red-hot at the plate for Double-A Binghamton. Over his last 11 games, Alvarez is slashing .357/.404/.810 to go with five home runs, 10 RBI and four doubles. On the season, Alvarez is slashing .275/.347/.540 with 12 home runs and 32 RBI over 189 at-bats. While it is doubtful the Mets will promote Alvarez to the big league club in 2022, it is likely Alvarez should see a promotion to Triple-A soon. Alvarez, the Mets' top prospect and seventh overall MLB prospect per MLB Pipeline, should be universally rostered in dynasty leagues.

New York Mets catcher prospect Francisco Alvarez continues to enjoy an impressive campaign for Double-A Binghamton. Most recently, the 20-year-old went 2-for-4 with three runs, a walk and a solo home run. A consensus Top-10 prospect, Alvarez is hitting .269 with eight home runs and 23 RBI in 156 at-bats. Alvarez has impressed at every obstacle thrown his way in his young career and it wouldn't be a surprise if the Mets gave him a shot in Triple-A later in the year. The talented catcher will continue to work on his defense for now and has a more realistic chance of making his big-league debut in 2023 at the earliest. Alvarez should already be universally rostered in dynasty leagues.

New York Mets catcher prospect Francisco Alvarez continued his hot start with a 2-for-4 performance for Double-A Binghamton on Tuesday. The top prospect at his position, Alvarez hit his third homer of the season to go along with three RBI and a walk. Just 20 years old, Alvarez has been off to a scorching hot start with a three home runs, seven RBI and a .538 batting average over his first three games. One of the top overall prospects in the sport, Alvarez is likely to continue to get some more seasoning down on the farm and makes for a more realistic target in 2023 for redraft leagues. For managers in dynasty leagues, Alvarez is worth roster due to his talent and position.

New York Mets catching prospect Francisco Alvarez will begin the 2022 campaign at Double-A Binghamton. Ranked as the No. 10 overall prospect in the majors on MLB.com, Alvarez spent the 2021 season at Single-A and High-A. He played in 99 games and slashed .272/.388/.554 with 24 home runs, 70 RBI and 67 runs. The 20-year-old made five plate appearances with the big league club this spring. He hit a home run and drew a walk while striking out twice. Assuming he's able to stay productive and healthy, there's a good chance we'll see him in the majors in 2023.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez is one of the best all-around offensive prospects in baseball after hitting 24 home runs at 19 years old while spending most of last season at High-A. He is also extremely gifted behind the plate as a defensive backstop, and he's projected to be a top-10 prospect heading into the 2023 season after he finished 2021 ranked No. 10 on MLB Pipeline's top-100 prospect list. The Venezuelan native has been hitting ever since he became a pro at age 17, and his exceptional strength and explosiveness helps him do considerable damage with the bat. Alvarez has plenty of raw strength from the right side of the plate and is also comfortable hitting to all fields.