"In the late innings of one game last season, Terry Collins needed a pinch-hitter, and decided to use Ronny Paulino. The Mets manager walked to Paulino's seat on the bench, and told the catcher to grab a bat.

Paulino did not grab a bat, and he did not move, according to a person present during the conversation. Collins, perturbed, stared at Paulino for a few moments, and then asked again. This prompted the pinch hitter to stir, finally.

It was a small moment, but it illustrated why some Mets officials are pushing for a new catching combination next season. In Paulino's first season in New York, the team did not view him as a diligent worker, adequate defensive catcher, or offensive force off the bench, and some are pushing to replace the arbitration-eligible backstop."