Tomas Nido Eyes 2018 Opportunity
Catcher Tomas Nido’s steady progression at Double-A Binghamton has the Mets hopeful the 23-year-old Puerto Rico native will be part of the catching equation at some point in 2018.
“I don’t know if he’s going to be a frontline guy; he’s probably not going to be a star, but he can be a good player,” said a Mets talent evaluator who has watched Nido this season.
Nido, along with the organization’s top prospect Amed Rosario, represented the Mets at the Futures Game and went 2-for-2 with two RBIs for the World Team. But for Binghamton his numbers have fallen from last season, when he won the Florida State League batting title (.320) at high Class A St. Lucie.
Through 68 games this year, Nido hit .253/.289/.387 with five home runs at Binghamton, but he continues to earn praise for his work behind the plate.
“Defensively, he’s going to be a big leaguer and get a chance to help somebody,” the evaluator said. “He throws and receives well.”
Nido, a 2012 eighth-round pick out of high school in Maitland, Fla., could be considered for a promotion to the Mets at some point next season, given the uncertainty surrounding the position within the organization. The Mets have been disappointed with starter Travis d’Arnaud, backup Rene Rivera is unsigned beyond this season and Triple-A catcher Kevin Plawecki has failed to distinguish himself in several stints with the Mets.
The evaluator compared Nido to the Mets’ current backup catcher, Rivera.
“I would think he could be a little better than Rene Rivera,” the evaluator said. “But with catchers you don’t know. That is always the hardest position to scout.”
NEW YORK MINUTES
• Low Class A Columbia lefthander Thomas Szapucki, a 2015 fifth-round pick, had Tommy John surgery on July 19 that is expected to keep him sidelined through the 2018 season. The 21-year-old made six starts this season.
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