One day after Travis d’Arnaud had a terrible day behind the plate, the Mets announced they had designated him for assignment. This move effectively ends the catcher’s time in New York and muddies the entire catching situation.
d’Arnaud was once considered the prized piece in the R.A. Dickey trade, but the concern was always his health. That unfortunately came to pass, as he missed plenty of time with injuries and had Tommy John surgery early last season.
When Brodie Van Wagenen was hired this offseason, he faced thin catching depth. His options were d’Arnaud, returning from his surgery, and Kevin Plawecki and Tomas Nido neither of whom had been impressive at the major league level.