The Mets have designated catcher Travis d’Arnaud for assignment, per a team announcement. His 25-man roster spot will go to fellow catcher Tomas Nido, whom the Mets recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.
This decision figures to conclude what has largely been a disappointing New York tenure for d’Arnaud, a Met since they acquired him in a 2013 blockbuster with the Blue Jays. Then among baseball’s elite prospects, d’Arnaud was one of the key pieces of the Mets’ return for knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, who also netted them right-hander Noah Syndergaard. Unlike Syndergaard, though, d’Arnaud hasn’t blossomed into a high-end major leaguer.
While d’Arnaud impressed early as a Met, combining for 6.1 fWAR and a .252/.317/.442 line with 25 home runs in 689 plate appearances from 2014-15, his numbers have fallen off since then. Dating back to 2016, d’Arnaud has slashed .239/.292/.381 with 21 HRs and 2.6 fWAR in 693 PA, thanks in part to a slew of injuries. The 30-year-old has missed at least 50 games in each of his seasons, including all but four contests in a 2018 campaign that was ruined by Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.
On the heels of that procedure, the Mets and rookie general manager Brodie Van Wagenen turned elsewhere for a starting catcher this past offseason. The club signed Wilson Ramos to a two-year, $19MM contract, which could have made d’Arnaud expendable on a team that also had Nido and the since-traded Kevin Plawecki at the time. The Mets kept d’Arnaud around at a now-guaranteed $3.515MM salary in his final year of arbitration eligibility, though, but decided to cut him after he opened the season with just two hits (both singles) in 25 plate appearances.
The Mets will owe d’Arnaud approximately $2.955MM if someone doesn’t take him off their hands, Joel Sherman of the New York Post notes, though it’s possible a trade will come together if his potential tantalizes a club. After all, d’Arnaud was reasonably productive during his previous season, 2017, and has earned solid marks behind the plate during his career.
Good Bye!
Can we designate the fans that piled on him yesterday? Brutal fans
You weren’t at the game. Cold damp windy game and the fans had more heart and drive than he did. It was the most pitiful performance I have ever seen live. It’s a shame he has fallen off so much but he is no way a major leaguer anymore.
Lol. Who is this guy?
Travis d’Arnuad LOL
Weak… no need for capital letters to emphasize a cliche joke. Wasn’t even worth an “lol”
Watched the end of the game on PIX, could not believe how awful he was.
Brewers ran around the bases like little leaguers.
No David. You can’t pile onto fans who are sick and tired of a guy who at best on occasion is healthy and still stinks.
We agreed on something!!
You live for the Mets. It’s weird. Someone becoming obsessed with something they claim to despise. Enjoy your goofy life.
He was once part of a trade for Roy Halladay. Guy has really been terrible the last year or so. Someone will trade for him.
I think you meant Dickey
Phillies got: Roy Halladay, Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies, Juan Ramirez and $6 million
Blue Jays got: Kyle Drabek, Brett Wallace and Travis d’Arnaud
Mariners got: Cliff Lee
A’s got: Michael Taylor (not that Michael Taylor)
Nope he meant Roy
Jays flipped Wallace for Gose then flipped him for the fragile Devon Travis.
Was traded to bluejays for Halladay then Mets for Dickey
Just another of the lowercase “d” Mets ending his tenure, after Matt den Dekker.
Jake deGrom is next.
Little d’s dont work well in the Big Apple.
I feel like i’m the only one who liked den Dekker
You are, trust me.
Wow, that’s harsh Mrs. den Dekker!
He’s starting a new trajectory. Mets fans are peeing in their pants. They can’t even sat, well ok, Thor can step up.
Lol
d’Arnaud’s defense and pitch calling was terrible last night.
So it was a typical d’Arnaud game.
Why were the Mets so quick to give up on Meseraco? He’s certainly better (and less injury prone) than d’Arnaud.
How about trading Plawecki to the tribe during spring training
Baffling.
mikeyanks55,
Brodie’s fine. You’re just a Yankees fan with a long standing anti Mets obsession and Brodie’s your new target. Your agenda deprives you of objectivity and credibility here.
Not sure about less injury prone. Both average 58 games per season.
While packing his bag he got a blister and has since been placed on the DL
IL lol
darnaud is not a major league player anymore. Designate familia too. Can’t stand watching him throw ball four anymore.
Is Mesoraco still restricted?
Yes, BVW said he has an “open door” to fulfill his contractual obligation to report to Syracuse whenever he wants…
Stop please with the fake initial style reference to the Mets incompetent GM, Wagon Wheel.
Hmm…no…
Yes 17. You just need til the ASG to begin to understand the regrets of the Cano trade.
Why do I have a feeling that the Dbacks will go after him? I mean they ONLY have four catchers on the 25 man roster..
Finally about time.
Maybe he can go play in Nashville with his brother. Texas could be in need of some catching depth. Kiner-Falefa and Mathis is not a great catching duo.
bradthebluefish he was part of both the Dickey and Halladay trades.
I hope Todd Frazier is next to go.
Amen
I’m guessing some Mets fans are glad to see this happen. His time with the nets has been (for lack of a better term) rocky.
* mets
Mets not nets. darn autocorrect.
the phillies their traded top talent the time for DOC and it turned out to be a 1 sided trade for our side.
then RAJ brutally traded cliff lee for seattle top talent that amounted to nothing.
Cliff lee pitched for TX in the WS that year & then bless him he came back to the phils.
too bad all that winning was sooooo long ago
Kind of interesting he was part of trades for 2 cy young winners. I guess you could technically say 3 since Cliff deal to mariners was a separate trade but the blue jays wanted either kyle drabek or phillipe aumont. Blue Jays probably wouldnt have done the deal without Drabek and the phillies would not have done the deal unless they got back a top pitching prospect in phillipe aumont. In the end neither really amounted to much but definitely interesting.
The Mets gave Travis a chance to recover from surgery and return to form. If it was my money i would have done the same. However, unlike The Mets in prior years (Reyes) they did not hesitate to act quickly after Travis has failed to live up to expectations.
Always thought it was interesting that he was part of 2 big trades.
D’Arnaud is a AAA player – nothing more. Never should have been in the majors.
I think injuries had a big part of that though. Had he not been so injure prone he probably would’ve been a quality major league piece.
Hopefully the Rangers will pick him up
I agree dagsmith. But add to the mix this, would Barry have been so willing to work with ‘Lil d if they had signed Riomundo? (I know, spelling! )
Dagsmith, I agree was the right decision to tender contract. And now right decision to DFA.
For all his talent, he’s been as good as anyone in squandering natural gifts on both sides of the ball. His problem for the most part is between the ears. He doesn’t adequately retain what he learns, goes back to bad habits on both sides of the ball and repeatedly loses focus. If he has a learning disorder, it should be addressed.
I could see the Rockies kicking the tires on this guy. Yes he has had a pretty bad run, but the Rox are currently running with a duo of Drew Butera and Tony Wolters. Is d’Arnaud really worse than that pair?
A talented guy with questionable mental make up and questionable learning retention who abandons what works to return to flawed approach at the plate and behind it. He changes his stance and mechanics a million times, is poor game caller, crappy technique blocking balls one handed when he knows he should use two, in addition to huge struggles throwing runners out..
If he has a medical problem such as ADD or a learning disability, – or is anxious and loses focus in-game – it should be addressed. He’s 30 years old with an injury history and squandered talent.
Maybe the Blue Jays can sign him and salvage some of that fleecing they were subject to!
I remember buying a d’arnoud jersey the day we got him thinking he was piazza 2.0… boy was I wrong