The Mets have optioned Travis d'Arnaud, and five others to minor league camp. Sandy Alderson told reporters that he was very impressed with d'Arnaud, and expects to see him sometime during the season.
"I know people talk about control and 'Super Two' and all of that. If John Buck gets hurt tomorrow, Travis d'Arnaud will be our frontline catcher." Alderson said.
D'Arnaud hit .343 in 35 at-bats with the Mets this spring.
The Mets also re-assigned Aaron Laffey, Andrew Brown, Brian Bixler, and Jaime Hoffmann to minor league camp, and outrighted Brandon Hicks to Triple-A, meaning that he is no longer on the 40 man roster.
We all knew that d'Arnaud's chances of making the team were slim, but he put up a strong spring performance, and let us all know what he is capable of doing. I have no problem with delaying his free agency status, most likely because John Buck will be able to handle the catching for a few months. I am clearly going to keep a close eye on d'Arnaud in Triple-A, and anticipate him coming up to the big leagues sometime in July.
As for the other players:
Aaron Laffey- Laffey was in only in camp as rotation depth, but he made the most out of his time. Posting a 3.00 ERA, Laffey will likely see some time as a spot starter sometime during the season if any of the pitchers manage to land on the disabled list.
Andrew Brown- Brown had every opportunity to grab any of the outfield positions, but his hitting really held him back. He was brought in because of his underrated bat, but he hit a mere .244 in 45 at-bats, and only drew one walk. He clearly has some issues to work on at the plate, and if he has a strong showing in Triple-A, I expect to see him on the bench sometime during the season.
Brian Bixler- Bixler is a very versatile player, and his competition was Omar Quintanilla for the backup infield spot. Both players hit moderately well, but the Mets know what Quintanilla can do at the Major League level, and ultimately that is what determined their decision.
Jaime Hoffmann- Hoffmann did show some power this spring (3 home runs in 38 plate appearances), but was simply brought in as outfield depth, and I didn't expect him to make the team.
Brandon Hicks- Many thought that Hicks would make the team as a bench player capable of playing any of the infield positions. His defense was decent this spring, but his hitting was atrocious. He hit .116 in 43 at-bats, but he did put up a .333 on-base percentage. He is another guy that I expect to see up in the Major Leagues if there are injuries to other players.
Andrew Brown- Brown had every opportunity to grab any of the outfield positions, but his hitting really held him back. He was brought in because of his underrated bat, but he hit a mere .244 in 45 at-bats, and only drew one walk. He clearly has some issues to work on at the plate, and if he has a strong showing in Triple-A, I expect to see him on the bench sometime during the season.
Brian Bixler- Bixler is a very versatile player, and his competition was Omar Quintanilla for the backup infield spot. Both players hit moderately well, but the Mets know what Quintanilla can do at the Major League level, and ultimately that is what determined their decision.
Jaime Hoffmann- Hoffmann did show some power this spring (3 home runs in 38 plate appearances), but was simply brought in as outfield depth, and I didn't expect him to make the team.
Brandon Hicks- Many thought that Hicks would make the team as a bench player capable of playing any of the infield positions. His defense was decent this spring, but his hitting was atrocious. He hit .116 in 43 at-bats, but he did put up a .333 on-base percentage. He is another guy that I expect to see up in the Major Leagues if there are injuries to other players.
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