In a move that we all kind of saw coming, but were afraid to admit to happened on Sunday. The New York Mets announced that struggling catcher Travis d’Arnaud was being sent down to Triple-A Las Vegas, with Tyler Teagarden being promoted to take his place on the roster. In 39 games with the Mets this season, d’Arnaud was hitting just .180 with three home runs and nine runs batted in.
As a top catching prospect originally drafted by the Philadelphia Philles in 2007, d’Arnaud has the distinction of being traded two times before making his major league debut, as the essential centerpiece in a trade that landed the other team a Cy Young Award winner.
The first trade happened at the end of 2009, when d’Arnaud, along with Kyle Drabek and Michael Taylor, were sent north of the border for future Hall of Fame pitcher Roy Halladay. D’Arnaud worked his way through the Blue Jays farm system capping off in Triple-A before his next move.
We are all familiar with the trade that brought him to New York, which sent R.A. Dickey away. The fear of this trade being a bust looms large and maybe even more so because of this demotion of d’Arnaud. Travis was handed over the reigns as starting catcher for the Mets but it hasn’t quite worked out the way any had hoped.
Sometimes the pressure of being looked at as one of the top prospects for an organization can be overwhelming. In a game of “what have you done for me lately”, production early on is key. If the production isn’t there instantly you can be looked at as a bust. D’Arnaud has the goods to be a very good major league baseball player and a return to the minor leagues doesn’t have to be looked at as a setback, but can be looked at as more seasoning which could help build confidence leading to success.
Prior to his promotion to the Mets, Teagarden was hitting .279 for the 51’s in 34 games. This will be his second stint in the major leagues, last playing in 2013 for the Baltimore Orioles. Teagarden was drafted and signed by the Texas Rangers in 2005 and was sent to Baltimore in December of 2011. The Mets signed him as a free agent this past February.