
Mets recalling Francisco Alvarez after homer barrage in minors
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free
The laser show that Francisco Alvarez has been putting on with Triple-A Syracuse is ending.
He now will head to The Show.
Advertisement
The Mets are recalling their young catcher, a source said Sunday, after he laid waste to minor league pitching for nearly a month.
Francisco Alvarez singles during the Mets' May 26 game against the White Sox.
Robert Sabo for the NY Post
Alvarez, who was optioned amid offensive and defensive struggles on June 22, reported to Syracuse and made adjustments on both sides of the ball that he hopes will translate to the majors.
Advertisement
In 19 games with Syracuse, Alvarez demolished 11 home runs — including another one Sunday, a game in which he was pinch-hit for in the ninth inning.
Francisco Alvarez connects on a hit during the Mets' May 11 game against the Cubs.
Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
Advertisement
The powerful 23-year-old had hit just three home runs in 35 major league games this season.
Alvarez is expected to rejoin the Mets on Monday and likely will share time with Luis Torrens.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Mets' 4-Time All-Star Offers 2-Word Response on Dylan Cease Trade Rumors
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The New York Mets seized first place in the National League East division after a series sweep of the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday and the front office could be looking to add another blockbuster piece. Even after re-signing Pete Alonso and Sean Manaea and adding Juan Soto, Clay Holmes and other veterans to the roster, the Mets are heading into the trade deadline with a chance to fortify their World Series aspirations. The team has been linked to frontline starter Dylan Cease, who could suddenly be on the San Diego Padres' trade block. "A surprise name has emerged in the starting pitcher market: Dylan Cease, who will be eligible for free agency at year's end," ESPN's Buster Olney reported. "Perception of other teams is that the Padres are intent on making a push for the playoffs, and would use Cease to help fill other roster needs." Olney added that the Mets had been among the teams to check in on Cease, and the New York Post's Jon Heyman corroborated that news. ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 25: Dylan Cease #84 of the San Diego Padres walks through the dugout before the game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on May 25, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo... ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 25: Dylan Cease #84 of the San Diego Padres walks through the dugout before the game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on May 25, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San) More Thomas/Getty But the Mets have a relatively strong rotation already, with Manaea, Holmes, Kodai Senga and Frankie Montas in the mix and Tylor Megill hoping to come back from injury. And the cost of acquiring Cease, who could then leave for free agency at the end of the season, is likely to be high. However, four-time Mets All-Star Jose Reyes endorsed that potential trade when asked if the Mets need a top-line starter like Cease. "Probably yes," Reyes said in a recent segment on SNY. "This team this year, they've been good so far," Reyes added. "They're tied for first place right now. As a former player, when you see the GM go into the trade deadline and get some pieces, that means they want to win today. They're in the same boat as the player. ... They have some good pitchers now, but if you add another pitcher, that's going to be good for them." The Mets might feel like the cost of acquiring Cease is too high or that their rotation is the area of the roster least in need of a substantial upgrade. But Reyes noted how an aggressive acquisition can help motivate every member of the Mets locker room. More MLB: Yankees' 'Dominant' Starter Breaks Silence on Trade 'Worry'

Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Miami Hurricanes ‘needed to make some changes' on defense. Will they pan out?
When the Miami Hurricanes begin the 2025 season on Aug. 31 against Notre Dame, all eyes will be on their overhauled defense. Coach Mario Cristobal wasted little time reforming the group that handicapped his team a year ago. It started at the top with a change in defensive coordinator, with Corey Hetherman replacing Lance Guidry. It continued with the rest of the defensive coaching staff, with defensive line coach Jason Taylor the lone holdover from the group. New to the staff are defensive pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach Zac Etheridge, safeties coach Will Harris and defensive tackles coach Damione Lewis. And it is seen in the roster, with Miami digging deep into the transfer portal to find reinforcements. The Hurricanes have nine new additions on defense this year via the portal, including six defensive backs to shore up the team's weakest position from a year ago. Safeties Zechariah Poyser and Jakobe Thomas plus cornerbacks Xavier Lucas, Charles Brantley and Keionte Scott lead that group. 'All in all, we felt like we needed to make some changes in that department,' Cristobal said, 'and we made them.' And for good reason. Miami's offense was the best in the nation last year, leading the country in scoring (43.9 points per game), yards per game (537.2), yards per play (7.57) and third-down success rate (56.25 percent). The defense? Not so much. It regressed significantly in Guidry's second season and was a major reason the season ended with a 10-3 record and Miami missing the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game and a chance to compete in the 12-team College Football Playoff. The Hurricanes ranked 68th nationally in scoring defense, allowing 25.3 points per game — a number that ballooned to 30.8 points per game in conference play. In Guidry's first season as defensive coordinator, Miami allowed an average of 22.8 points per game but only gave up more than 40 points in a game once compared to three times last season. Miami ended the season losing three of its final four games after a 9-0 start, including giving up 42 points apiece in its final two games to Syracuse and Iowa State, which averaged 34.1 and 31.1 points per game respectively. Miami led 21-0 in the second quarter of the Syracuse game and 38-28 midway through the third quarter of the Iowa State game before eventually losing both contests. UM also lost 28-23 to a one-dimensional Georgia Tech team that ran for 271 yards — the most Miami has allowed in a game since giving up a school-record 554 rushing yards on Dec. 12, 2020. 'After Week 4 last year, we took a downturn,' Cristobal said. 'We slipped defensively. I don't want to blame anybody. I always look at myself and say, 'What could I have done better?' We had some injuries that led to some schematic changes that weren't the best for our football program.' Enter Hetherman and the slew of other changes on defense. Players have praised Hetherman's aggressive style of coaching and the relentless pressure he wants them to force up front. It was a big part in how he turned Minnesota's defenses into one of the top in the country last year before joining the Hurricanes. 'I love coach Hetherman,' sixth-year senior defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor said. 'He's a great teacher. He's just an aggressive guy, as you guys can see in his interviews. But he really just gets it down to the point. He's a technician; anything you have, he'll probably answer your question before you ask it. But he's an amazing person, a great coach, and he just lets us play free, play fast.' But with that comes lessons that need to be learned. The Hurricanes defense struggled with communication issues a year ago, which led to a lot of the opponents' chunk plays. That became a priority for Hetherman right from the start. 'If you don't communicate,' Mesidor said, 'your defense is going to get just torched.' A foundation was laid during spring practices. It will continue when fall practices begin on July 31. And then it will be put to the test a month after that. Players to watch While the Hurricanes have their share of established guys, Mesidor and senior linebacker Wesley Bissainthe have a few teammates — some returnees, some new — they're looking forward to seeing take the field this season. Mesidor pointed out sophomore defensive lineman Armondo Blount ('If you're looking for a guy who's going to run to that ball and just has maximum effort, he'll pop out on film') while Bissainthe mentioned Miami's two linebacker transfers in Mohamed Toure and Kamal Bonner, both of whom committed to Miami during the spring transfer window. Other names they mentioned included cornerback transfer Ethan O'Connor and linebacker Raul 'Popo' Aguirre. 'I'm excited to show the world what we've got,' Mesidor said.


New York Times
6 hours ago
- New York Times
Why the Angels need to embrace role as sellers ahead of trade deadline
NEW YORK — After the Angels were swept by the Mets on Wednesday afternoon, interim manager Ray Montgomery walked into the visitors clubhouse, where many players ambled around their lockers. It wasn't a formal team meeting; not everyone was present. Still, he wanted to deliver a message. 'I said to the guys, there wasn't one ounce of quit,' Montgomery said. 'The guys kept grinding through a tough game that could have gotten away from us, and it didn't. We had chances. I was proud of the way we kept fighting.' Advertisement He's right. The Angels have played inspired baseball, sometimes even in losses. It's a team that is far more enjoyable to watch than the 99-loss disaster of last season. But when it comes to the tough choices this organization needs to consider over the next week, fight, heart and competence really shouldn't matter that much. The Angels, GM Perry Minasian and owner Arte Moreno need to face facts. They have a 2.8 percent chance to make the postseason this year, according to FanGraphs. They are 4 1/2 games out and have six teams ahead of them fighting for the final wild-card spot. It's not impossible. But anything other than preparing to sell wouldn't be prudent. Minasian declined to discuss the deadline approach Monday at Citi Field, stating he'd talk next after the July 31 deadline passes. He hasn't taken questions from reporters since the beginning of July. There's a lot of interest in Angels players, and competing teams around the league are very hopeful that they sell. It's a huge opportunity for a team that has proven something very important this season: Acquiring good young players eventually leads to more wins. This deadline presents an opportunity to lean into that even more, given they have leverage over competing teams desperate to improve. It's an opportunity to put the franchise in a position to be legitimately competitive long-term. That might mean trading players with more than one year of team control. That includes Taylor Ward, Reid Detmers and José Soriano, among others, all of whom have been inquired about by competing clubs. Reasonable people could disagree on just how aggressive a sell-off the Angels want to conduct. But there's no reasonable argument for anything other than selling, as things stand presently. Particularly as Moreno has been more frugal in his free-agent spending over the years, with Yusei Kikuchi's 3-year, $63 million contract marking the most expensive deal since 2019. Advertisement Leveraging the deadline is a crucial element of building a competitive operation. But it's unclear if Moreno understands that. And Minasian, whose contract expires after next season, might not be inclined to think far beyond 2026. It will ultimately come down to Moreno's inclinations, as always. One team source suggested before the Mets series that he might not want to sell off, since it's unfair to the fans. That's flawed logic — the kind they've employed over the last 11 dreadful seasons. What's unfair to the fans is a malaise of perpetual failure. They've been different iterations of bad every year since 2015. Sure, they have a higher floor than the Rockies or White Sox. But with their modus operandi, their ceiling is also a lot lower. Trading a player like Ward would be tough. And it would hurt their chances in 2026. But it might also bring back talented players who could be the backbone of their competitive window. That's how good teams build, and rebuild quickly — by establishing a pipeline of talent that has not existed in Anaheim in a long time. Winning often requires tough choices and sacrifice. That's the mindset the Angels need to employ, but almost certainly won't. They have always operated in the interest of cobbling together a good enough team, not building something self-sustaining. That's why trading players with years of team control is often off-limits this time of year. The Angels' run differential this season is minus-65. They are 19-12 in one-run games. And they have remained extremely healthy, thus far, throughout the season. They went the entire first half of the season using the same five starting pitchers. Players, coaches and fans want to, and should, look for the positives in evaluating where the Angels are. Hope and optimism can help a club. But front offices need to be cold calculators in assessing the operations. They need to ask if what they've built is actually good enough to be one of the best teams after 162 games. Advertisement The Angels were not overmatched by the Mets. But the sweep highlighted areas of weakness. Poor defensive decision-making was on display. The bullpen wasn't able to lock down leads. And the offense missed several big scoring chances. 'It's frustrating,' Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe said after his team blew a four-run lead in a loss Monday. 'We've got to win games in the second half. We're over good looks, we're over good signs. We've got to win games.' This is what you want your starting catcher to say. This is exactly the right mindset, and whether the Angels sell, the players need to keep that way of thinking. But there needs to be a distinction between what the players' goals are in the clubhouse and the prudent decisions of a big-league front office. Maybe they'll go 7-0 this week, and change the entire calculation. If that happens, great, you can reset. The whole point, however, is that this team's decision-makers need to be preparing for what's most likely, instead of praying for a miracle. (Top photo of Ray Montgomery: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)