The Braves announced Wednesday morning that they’ve reinstated catcher Travis d’Arnaud from the 60-day injured list and opened a spot on the roster by designating fellow backstop Kevan Smith for assignment.
The 32-year-old d’Arnaud played in just 23 games this season before undergoing surgery to repair a ligament in his thumb. It wasn’t an especially productive start to the campaign for d’Arnaud, who batted just .220/.253/.341 in 87 plate appearances. However, the veteran backstop posted a mammoth .321/.386/.533 line with nine homers and eight doubles in 187 plate appearances for the Braves in 2020.
The 2021 season is the second of a two-year, $16MM deal inked by d’Arnaud in the 2019-20 offseason. He signed that deal on the heels of a breakout .263/.323/.459 run through 92 games with the Rays. All told, over the past three seasons, the former No. 37 overall pick and longtime top prospect has combined for a healthy .266/.325/.448 batting line. That’s about six percent better than league average, by measure of wRC+, but it’s particularly hearty output for a catcher. Dating back to 2019, the average catcher has been about 12 percent worse than league average at the plate.
Atlanta gets its starting catcher back at a pivotal juncture, as the Mets have begun to fade after a nearly three-month run atop the division. Both the Braves and the Phillies have overtaken the Mets, and it’s now Philadelphia that holds a one-game lead over Atlanta and a two-game lead over New York. A healthy d’Arnaud will go a long ways toward improving the Braves’ lineup, as neither Smith nor deadline acquisition Stephen Vogt has provided much of anything with the bat since joining the organization.
Smith, 33, came to the Braves with a solid enough track record at the plate — .272/.321/.384 in 726 plate appearances from 2016-20 — but hasn’t been able to come close to his former levels of production. In 101 plate appearances with the Braves, he’s mustered a tepid .165/.248/.198 batting line with a 28.7 percent strikeout rate that is more than 10 percent higher than his career mark. The Braves will put Smith on outright waivers or release waivers within the next week.
Thank you!!! How kevan smith stayed on the roster in the first place made no sense. He’s terrible
He was a veteran and a good catcher is why he was on the roster. I’m sure they didn’t expect him to hit .300 and would hope he would hit better than .165. He did what he was pretty much expected, a holdover till Travis got back.
But I believe he had more passed balls then all the other teams in the NL. He would have at least two per game. I like Vogt but had rather have Lucory as my back up. Better defensively, better calling a game , and better bat.
When will you wake up and realize that offensive production from the catching position isn’t a necessity when the defensive output reasonably offsets any offensive deficiencies?
The catcher affects every play on the defensive side of the ball. Any pitching staff is much better off with a plus defensive catcher who is a below replacement level hitter than the other way around.
I’m pretty awake actually and having a catcher who atleast is competent at hitting is a plus, when said catcher is just plain terrible at hitting it offsets any defense IMO. Takes notes I said IMO.
168 BA with 3 rbis in 100abs doesn’t even belong in the mlb let’s be serious.
@rammac14 I couldnt agree more. I get the whole doesnt need big offense but .165 is not acceptable for any major league hitter.
Tell that to the Rays (who maximize everything out of very little) and Mike Zunino, who has hit .180/660 OPS as a member of the Rays for three years. A guy that has guided a pitching staff to three postseason births, including a World Series.
For what was asked of Smith, he delivered. Obviously it would’ve been great if he’d hit .250 with 750+ OPS, but clearly he was more valuable to the team than Contreras, Lucroy, and Mathis.
Cuz Zunino has power.
Smith was valuable enough to DFA.
True but different league. You need to assume your pitcher will hit under.200 and you can absorb a poor 9 hitter. In this case your 8 and 9 hitters are automatic outs. And he is no Zunino.
Disagree. He did nothing but catch a ball that’s the extent of it. As @leemazzilli said comparing him to zunino is apples to oranges. Rays have DH to make up for lost production. Also zunino is good for 20+ homers 50+ rbis where as smith just plain shouldn’t pick up a bat. Smith is the equivalent of having to pitchers bat In your lineup. Again Ray’s have DH. Only thing he delivered was a body in the lineup nothing more.
I see the point you’re attempting to make with the DH, but the DH spot isn’t exclusively reserved for the Rays. Every AL team has a DH, and a spot in the lineup is just as valuable for one AL team as it is for the other.
The Rays operate the same way with Kiermaier. They would rather have him patrolling center field, as a below average bat, than the other way around.
Pitching and defense.
Also, the argument isn’t that Kevan Smith should replace d’Arnaud or any other starting catcher. The argument is that his defense was sufficient enough in thirty games to work in a run prevention scheme while the team awaited d’Arnaud’s return.
And here we go…
Now remove Ozzie from the leadoff spot.
YES, I’m beginning to wonder about Snits moves. Put Pederson back in the leadoff spot. Then Ozzie, Freeman, Riley, Duval, Swanson, Solar, Travis, for now. See how d”Arnaud hits.
I agree with Pederson leading off. He is a perfect fit for this team and I hope the Braves extend him.
2-7 is interchangeable but I like,
JP, Swanson, Freeman, Riley, Soler, Albies, Duvall, Td’A. I imagine the Braves may start Travis at the bottom but he is more than capable of hitting in the middle like he did last season. If so, move him to #5 and move everybody down.
Next season, I want to see JP, Marte/Buxton, Acuna outfield )))
I question Snit daily !
Now now, let’s not drop a stinker on Albies, the man who is anointed on every broadcast and even on these boards, while his DP counterpart has nearly identical stats and nearly everyone on here trashes him.
I am poking at others, not you. I get so tired of the Swanson hate on here and the Albies lovefest I just had to use your post to lash out. I completely agree with Albies not hitting leadoff. He has the talent to be a leadoff hitter, but not the mindset. It’s kind of telling that we are talking about putting a career .330 OBP guy back in the leadoff spot over Albies.
Albies has always been a guy people keep talking about but his results are just not impressive to me. Low OBP, terrible approach at the plate, etc…He swings for the fences every at bat.
Ozzie is on fire in the lead off spot and the offense is on a roll.
Good to see d’Arnaud coming back, but he may be rusty Let’s not forget Contreras who is tearing the cover off the ball at AAA. Vogt was a good fill in, but not a keeper.
I like Contreras getting play time at Gwinnett
A backup catcher needs to be defensively sound and decent with the bat, which Vogt is. Not saying he’ll continue, but Contreras’ defensive mistakes was what got him sent down when his bat went cold.
Maybe, but this dude is 23 & he’s learning. Remember how many folks were down on Riley & are now eating crow?
He hasn’t had enough time to advance the way your implying. Remember this is the same kid who started catching on one knee right before this years call up. Catching is one of the most difficult defensive positions to master. It doesn’t happen over night.
He’s 23, I don’t have him starting in the all star game.. Yeah it doesn’t happen over night cause he’d still be 23. He also has a pro brother who has a good record.
No ones saying Contreras won’t be good in the future, it’s just that he’s not ready now
Yes, that’s what I’m saying, give him some time. d”arnaud, may be a 1 time hit, hard to come back from .320 There’s a good chance he won’t bounce back from 2020. Contreras, Voght. Who knows?
Contreas will be a Sept. call-up. I’m sure.
Excellent. Off topic, but the thing that gets me is the stat geeks infatuation with Alex Jackson. Dude cannot hit in the majors at all.
Right……
Now watch what happens with the Braces pitchers.
Hopefully they retain some optimism.
Keep them all on retainers.
It’s good to have a pitching staff aligned & capable of cooling off with a glass of water. They might take a pasting when they go back in.
It’s what I love about this site, we see a typo & we’re all over it, like ants on a dropped hotdog at a picnic.
i dont think ANYONE is infatuated with Jackson
We should hang a banner in the stadium to acknowledge this historic DFA.
Does AA offer d’Arnaud a new 2 year deal or at least one year with some type of option?
I doubt it. They have Contreras and Langileres could be ready in 2023. Also, the team is still in limbo on Ozuna and his money.
” Could be ” is not good enough. Who would catch in 2022, sign Smith back? Contreas was supposed to be ready this year., he wasn’t.
Contreras was never expected to be up this early much less ready. The hope was he would make a big leap from last yr, nothing more.
Being a Mets fan i would say no. He just cant stay on the field. If you do sign him to even one year you have to make sure you have a solid backup. So you cant just sign him. You need another capable regular catcher on your roster.
YES….. He should sign him back. We don’t want to go into the season with 2 rookies/young guys.
Absolutely, if he’d take a one year deal with an option. Contreras and Langeliers aren’t ready and may not be next year. Whichever produces in the spring can split time with TD. And if they both rake, you’ve always got the DH (hopefully).
Peterson – Ozzie – Freeman – Riley – Duval – Swanson – Solar – d”Arnaud – Pitcher Should be the lineup, at least for a couple of weeks. Just get Ozzie out of the leadoff spot. Move Dansby down to 6th. at least. I thought Snit just put Ozzie in the leadoff because of 3 straight lefties, guess not. Surely he can see how bad Ozzie is doing at leadoff.
The Braves owe a lot to Vogt. He helped keep our heads above water as we went through half a dozen other catchers during Travis’ absence.. Would be very comfortable with that tandem moving forward in ’22.
so what happens to Contreras? Also, Vogt hasn’t even been on the team a month. Travis has been out since May 1st. I don’t think the Braves owe Vogt anything.
The Braves only owe Vogt some gratitude for being professional & doing his job the best he could do it & they paid him for it. He’s not a part of their future. unless he agrees to a minors contract. Someone will pick him up because he is a professional.
Again Vogt is a vet.. I say they call Contreas up in Sept. give him a few abs,.They may carry 3 catchers in the playoff if Contreas keeps hitting, us as a pitch-hitter.
Contreras would have to show me a whole lot more to be given the keys in ’22. Again, Vogt while not a superstar kept us afloat and frankly outperformed the other six stiffs we had behind the plate this year.
That’s ridiculous. Vogt caught 15 games for the Braves. d’Arnaud has been absent since the first day of May. Kevan smith has essentially produced the exact same offensively as Vogt, and has played 30 games for the Braves.
Why is Vogt owed anything over Smith? Kevan has done what the Braves needed him to do.
Vogt is an established big-leaguer with a veteran presence. In a pennant race, that’s what I want from my backup catcher. Stop focusing on offensive numbers. Austin Barnes doesn’t hit much either but is a solid contributor who played a key role in the Dodgers winning the World Series. With their deadline acquisitions and d’Arnaud coming back, the Braves aren’t hurting for offense. They just need to find a way to get to 85 or 86 wins.
@Cey, I don’t disagree with you. d’Arnaud is not the greatest defensive catcher nor, forgetting 2020, not the best offensive catcher either. Voght has done a good job filling in.& will finish the year out with the Braves, barring injury. Next year is a different story. Contreras needs to be weened into MLB & I’m not so sure the Braves offer d’Arnaud anything, unless he finishes this year with a flourish. We’ll see.
I’m predicting the final NL East standings now.
Braves: 87-75
Phillies: 85-77
Mets: 84-78
Nationals: 73-89
Marlins: 71-91
Travis probably won’t be back in ’22 unless he wants to come back at a pretty steep discount. They’ll probably give Contreras a real shot and sign a cheap veteran back-up for a year. I’d be all for Vogt for that roll, though. He’d be solid enough as a backup to hold it down until Langaliers is ready.
We are going through that ” cheap veteran ” thing now, and it hasn’t worked out very well. They give Contreas a shot this year. Vogt doesn’t hit. He’s not an everyday player. They need to sign Travis back.
Muller and Ynoa are on the same days for starts. My guess is Ynoa will pitch in Muller’s place after Thursday. Unless Muller goes out and pitches 6-7 shutout innings, that may change their minds. Going to be interesting how they do the 26 man roster. I don’t think they can keep all the starters really. It’s going to be the odd-man-out thing. They need to see how Ynoa pitches again now as a starter.
Yes finally
Smith didn’t have anything with the bat but he handled the pitching staff. Better than Alex Jackson. Now let’s get Travis back to slugging doubles with occasional HR pop.
4 passed balls in 29 games. I thought he would be better
On another note, please get Frenchy back in booth. Loved Brian Jordan as a player but as a play by play guy he has got to go.
I SO agree. Tired about hearing how great Jordan was from Jordan himself. Mute button when it became obnoxious.
Francouer broadcasting has regressed just like his hitting did. My pet peeve with him is how he says “we” to refer to the team. You’re only a “we” if you’re cashing Atlanta Braves checks every two weeks. Fans that refer to the team as “we” are the absolute worst.
I’d hire Glavine full time if he’d do it but he won’t. He’s gotten a lot better as a broadcaster. Nick Green is useless and when he’s not playing the role of the jester Paul Byrd is pretty good too.
I don’t see the problem with saying “we.” To me it just says that they’re standing behind the team regardless of whether they’re fans or broadcasters. I don’t know why it’s taken so negatively.
Francoeur is the commentator, not the play by play announcer. Usually it’s a fairly common practice to have the commentator be more of a homer, than the pbp guy.
I like when there are three in the booth. Chip, Jeff and Glavin IMO
Sorry, but people that trash fans that refer to the team as ‘we’ are the worst.
Fans make a difference. Be it watching TV to increase ratings and hence revenue, to attending games and increasing revenue, to making a difference as the ‘extra man’ or whatever vernacular you choose to use .. the fans do contribute. In that regard, they are a part of the overall success of the team.
True, in a standard one or two time purchase business model the consumer would not refer to the ‘brand’ they bought and say ‘we’, but sometimes they do. ‘We go way back’ is a phrase commonly used with car brands and such. If you support a brand over all others and contribute to their success by continuing to support them regardless of the quality of product then you can absolutely say ‘we’. You are a part of the success, so have at it.
I feel badly for the fans who have to listen to broadcasters who do not say ‘we’. That is just a sad attempt to appear impartial to bring in people who might not be a fan of the team. That is just commercialism by the broadcasting company and probably hurts revenue more than it helps. College football announcers that try to be impartial on local broadcasts are the worst. I mute the thing when I hear those guys, but put on a Larry Munson broadcast and I feel energized.
One of the great memories of my childhood was the Sid Bream slide game in ‘92. I can still hear it in my head like it was yesterday Skip Caray screaming “We win, we win, we win!…”.
“We won! We won!”
“No, THEY won—you watched.”—Jerry Seinfeld
That’s a walk off.
Jeff and Jordan are not the play by play guys. That’s chip
Correct. Chip is there to call the game. The other person is there to add insight. That’s why it’s always a former player. Chip Caray never played professional baseball so he can’t speak from personal experience on any given situation during the game.
I know some people don’t like Joe Simpson but he has always been straight to the point. I’m not saying he should be on every TV broadcast but I’d see no problem with him doing 40-50 games a year.
We needed Frenchy to show us how under-appreciated Joe Simpson was.
I could live with him not producing at the plate, but seemed like he had a passed ball every game!
Nah, Keep Joe “Get off my Lawn” Simpson on the radio and off TV. They replaced him on post season broadcasts for Frenchy due to some comments he made. I like Frenchy because he is still somewhat plugged in with the players no just Braves players. I don’t mind the “we” statements he makes at all he is obviously still concerned about the teams play and is critical of them as well. BJ however is full of baseball cliches and other mumbo jumbo no one cares about.
I don’t mind Glavine when he is on he does a decent job of explaining what’s going on with the pitcher. However, I am sooooooo tired of the “ Pitchers are athletes” banter Chip and he bring up every broadcast.
I’m a Braves fan . But I think the Phillies and the Mets have better broadcasting teams
Travis d Arnaud
Kevin Smith
Steve Vogt
Charlie Morton
Drew Smyly
Anything else the Rays can help you with Bravos?
Kevin Cash?
So the Rays drafted all those dudes? Pretty sure Morton was a Barves long before a Ray. The first catcher was a Met and the Smyly dude wasn’t cool until his time w/ the Giants. If you’d said Heredia, I’d give that one to you.