Edgy MD wrote: Hey, look — the Yankees have a catcher named Narváez! Narváez is wearing Ninetyfóurez. Numerically, it's a tough deal being a Yankee rookie.
Edgy MD wrote: Are Volpe, LeMahieu, Verdugo, and Torres still engaged in their pitched battle to see who can hustle the least? Well, shut my mouth. There's Volpe hustling.
They needed his roster spot, and he was designated for assignment. Trading him gave him more value in return than losing him through waivers. He made it through his entire Mets tenure without ever hitting anybody with a pitch.
Mets might well have sent Álvarez up to bat instead of McNeil. There were two out, so they needed an extra-base hit to score, and Álvarez was going to have to enter the game anyhow.