Mets Sign Luis Torrens To Two-Year Contract Extension - MLB Trade Rumors

The Mets and catcher Luis Torrens have agreed to a two-year, $11.5MM contract extension, according to The Athletic’s Will Sammon.  The deal breaks down as $5.75MM in each of the 2027 and 2028 seasons, as per the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, plus another $2MM is available in bonuses.  Torrens is represented by Octagon. Torrens was set to become a free agent at season’s end, but the new deal will keep him in Queens through the 2028 season.  Today is Torrens’ 30th birthday, so landing the first multi-year contract of his nine-year career in the majors is quite the present for the veteran catcher.  Acquired in a cash transaction from the Yankees in May 2024, Torrens has hit .225/.281/.347 over 444 plate appearances and 152 games in a Mets uniform. Francisco Alvarez‘s injury-plagued 2025 season opened the door for Torrens to receive a lot of regular playing time.  Torrens’ 92 games played in 2025 was the second-highest total of his career, after his 108 appearances with the Mariners in 2021.  Over Torrens’ other seven seasons in the majors, however, he played in only 221 games, limited to backup or part-time duty. The $11.5MM price tag may seem steep for a light-hitting backup catcher, yet Torrens is also one of baseball’s better defensive backstops.  Torrens was a finalist for NL Gold Glove honors at the catching position in 2025, with Statcast crediting him with +11 Catching Runs for his excellent framing and outstanding ability to gun down baserunners.  Since the start of the 2024 season, Torrens has thrown out 37 of 84 baserunners attempting to steal. While Torrens’ extension pales in comparison to the other big contracts on the Mets’ books, it does represent another notable outlay given the team’s luxury tax situation.  Because this will be New York’s fifth straight season exceeding the highest level of tax penalization, the club is paying a 110% levy on any new spending, so Torrens’ contract comes with a $12.65MM tax bill.  Given how badly the Mets have struggled in 2026, the team could be deadline sellers, but it remains to be seen how much (if any) payroll reduction might take place that could impact their tax status to any great extent.