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If people wanted to see some real scoring on Wednesday night, they should’ve tuned into Mets vs. Marlins rather than the opening game of the NFL season. Regardless, the Mets pulled out this 15-14 thriller with a huge boost from the bottom of their lineup. Torrens drove in four runs from the ninth spot, Christopher Morel three after coming in for the injured Brett Baty who plated one of his own hitting eighth, and A.J. Ewing with two RBI from the seven-hole. That’s a whopping 10 RBI from the bottom third of their lineup. Otherwise, Torrens raised his OPS to .701 with another strong game as he has put together a truly phenomenal second half. Since the All-Star break, he’s slashing .296/.359/.592 – that’s a .951 OPS – with six home runs and 19 RBI in 24 games as the Mets’ part-time catcher

Offense is a bonus from Torrens, but he came up big tonight with his three hard-hit balls and his third homer in 207 plate appearances. It was his first three-hit or four-RBI game of the season. He’d driven in four just five times previously: three times in 2021, once in 2022 and once last year.

A few teams, including the White Sox, have been circling Torrens to improve their catching situation, but the Mets don’t appear willing to “indulge” those interests, according to Heyman. The Mets view Torrens as one of the best defensive catchers in the sport and have him under contract for just $4.75 million next season. Considering the Mets are not considering adopting any kind of rebuild, even as they are clear sellers at this year’s deadline, it would make some sense to keep Torrens around if they believe he’s a crucial part of a team they hope will compete for a World Series in 2027.

Torrens doubled and scored in the third inning, then gave the Mets a pair of insurance runs with a two-run homer off Michael King in the fifth. The 30-year-old backstop has been solid filling in for Francisco Alvarez, hitting .233/.288/.350 with one homer, 13 runs scored, and 15 RBI across 113 plate appearances. Though Alvarez, currently on a rehab assignment, is making his way back from meniscus surgery. He’s expected to be activated as early as Tuesday when the Mets begin a six-game homestand.

The deal is now official. Torrens will remain in New York through at least 2028 as one of the better backup catchers in the game. The 30-year-old impending free agent’s value is primarily on the defensive side where he remains elite at throwing out opposing would-be basestealers. He’ll continue backing up Francisco Alvarez for the next couple years.

Torrens, who was set to become a free agent next offseason, will remain in New York through 2028 in a backup role behind Francisco Alvarez. ESPN’s Jorge Castillo adds that the deal contains an additional $2 million in performance-based incentives.

Torrens drew much better reviews for his defense than his offense while playing more than expected for the Mets last season, but Statcast believes he was terribly unlucky to come in at just .226/.284/.345, crediting him an xBA of .280 and an xSLG of .450. Still, the Mets will want Torrens to serve as more of a true backup to Francisco Alvarez if all goes well this year. It’s Torrens’ final season before free agency.

Torrens missed the minimum 10-day stint while recovering from a forearm stint. He’ll be the backup backstop to Francisco Alvarez over the final 10-plus games of the campaign.