Mike’s Mets Player Review Series: Robinson Chirinos

Now that the 2020 season is over for the New York Mets, we have been looking back at the year that was. After taking a more general view of the offense, pitching, and coaching staff, it’s time to take a deeper dive into the Mets’ players. This series will take a look at every player on the roster for the Mets at the end of the season from A (Pete Alonso) to Z (Daniel Zamora). The review will look at their season statistics, stories, and what role (if any) they will have next season. We continue the series today with a look at catcher Robinson Chirinos.

Player Review: Robinson Chirinos

2020 Stats:

Texas Rangers: 14 Games, 42 At Bats, .119 Batting Average, 5 Hits, 1 Double, 2 RBI’s, 3 Runs Scored, .367 OPS, -0.7 WAR

New York Mets: 12 Games, 32 At Bats, .219 Batting Average, 7 Hits, 2 Doubles, 1 Home Run, 5 RBI’s, 1 Run Scored, .617 OPS, -0.1 WAR

Story: Robinson Chirinos began the year as the backup catcher in Texas and didn’t hit much. With the Rangers completely out of the race by the trade deadline, Chirinos was shipped to the Mets along with Todd Frazier for two players to be named later. The Mets needed Chirinos to be their backup catcher after Tomas Nido contracted the coronavirus and it was a good move. Chirinos hit much better than he had in Texas, raising his batting average from .119 to .162 on the year and launching his only homer on September 24 as part of a three-RBI day to beat the Washington Nationals in what would go down as the Mets’ last win of the season.

Grade: C

Chirinos was a perfect replacement-level backup catcher for the Mets. The question becomes whether the prospect the Mets gave up for Chirinos is more valuable in the long run than the four weeks the Mets got out of him.

Contract Status: 2021 Club Option worth $6.5 million with a $1 million buyout

Odds of Returning: 0%

2021 Role: None

The Mets will quickly decline Chirinos’ option for 2021 and send him into free agency. With Nido out of options and the team looking to upgrade behind the plate, there is no need to bring Chirinos back for another year.

Check back tomorrow as our Player Review series continues with a look at outfielder Michael Conforto!