Mets acquire catcher Michael Pérez from Pirates

One day after striking a deal with the Pirates for a designated hitter, the Mets have turned to their Pittsburgh friends once again, this time for some catching assistance. The team has acquired catcher Michael Pérez in exchange for cash considerations, according to Jon Heyman. Travis Blankenhorn has been designated for assignment to make room for him on the roster.

The team’s need for another backstop became especially evident last night when Tomás Nido exited the game after getting hit by a pitch on the wrist while catching. It is not yet known if the injury will require an IL stint, but this move could suggest that it may. However, regardless of Nido’s status, the Mets arguably needed to add another catcher with James McCann on the injured list and the team seemingly being unwilling to call-up top prospect Francisco Álvarez and reluctant to place too much trust in Patrick Mazeika behind the plate.

Pérez is unlikely to provide a great deal of offense for the Mets, as he has just a 52 career wRC+. His numbers for this year are at about that level, as he had a slash line of .150/.209/.318 and a 47 wRC+ (albeit with six home runs) in 116 plate appearances before being designated for assignment by the Pirates yesterday. Still, the Mets likely are largely unconcerned about how he performs with the bat and more concerned about adding someone who can handle a major league pitching staff and provide adequate defense, and Pérez can hopefully fill that need.