New York Mets: The Travis d’Arnaud Era is over

On Saturday, the New York Mets officially put the Travis d’Arnaud Era to an end.

Sometimes, a team realizes early on that they made a mistake when it comes to the roster. Despite their best intentions, and the attempts by most teams to put together the best 25 man roster possible for Opening Day, sometimes a player does not pan out.

That was the case with the New York Mets. After their surprise decision to tender Travis d’Arnaud a contract, he was a part of the Opening Day roster, remaining a member of the Mets until being designated for assignment on April 28. On Friday, his time in DFA limbo came to an end, as the Mets officially released d’Arnaud.

Once a valuable part of the franchise, d’Arnaud had been relegated to a backup role following the signing of Wilson Ramos. He had struggled in his limited time, with just two hits and two RBI in 25 plate appearances this season.

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It is a disappointing end to a tenure that began with a great deal of promise. Once considered one of the top catching prospects in the game, d’Arnaud was part of the deal that sent R.A. Dickey to the Blue Jays. He has had success with the Mets, posting a .249/.308/.419 batting line with 45 homers and 62 doubles in his 1341 plate appearances from 2014 through 2017.

Unfortunately, injury ruined what appeared to be a promising career. He appeared in just 14 games since 2018. Last season was lost due to Tommy Joh surgery, as he was out of action after April 11. Yet, there was the hope that he could remain a productive piece for the Mets moving forward.

Now, if d’Arnaud is going to resurrect his career, it will need to happen elsewhere. The former top prospect is just 30 years old, and may be able to latch on with another team looking for depth behind the plate. His time in the majors may not be over just yet.

However, his time with the New York Mets has come to an end. Travis d’Arnaud had once been a promising part of the future, only to have injury take that away.