Who exactly is Travis d'Arnaud?

Now that the R.A. Dickey trade is finally official, we can move on with our lives and look at this team's state as the New Year approaches. We will most likely see a couple of new faces come Spring Training, and one of them is going to be Travis d'Arnaud, who the Mets acquired as the center-piece of the R.A. Dickey trade. 

d'Arnaud was initially drafted by the Phillies, but was shipped to Toronto in the Roy Halladay trade a few years ago. He put up impressive offensive numbers in the minor leagues, and coming into the 2012 season MLB.com ranked him as the 11th best prospect in the game. He was also named the best defensive catcher in a 2011 poll of Double-A managers.

One thing that is concerning about d'Arnaud is his health history. He has had two knee surgeries so far, but the Mets' doctors do not seemed to be concerned at all. He missed the end of last season following a torn PCL, and should be ready this Spring. However, I expect that the organization will take a conservative approach with him, and possibly start him in the minor leagues. Alderson said that he'll take a look at him in Spring Training, and take it from there.

Honestly I feel like this kid is something special, probably because it has been a while since we have had a legitimate MLB catcher. His idol is Mike Piazza, whom he also bases his game off of. Personally, I don't know about you but I'd love to see this kid turn into Mike Piazza. Yet again, lets not get too far ahead of ourselves because he hasn't had a single MLB at-bat yet. 

Mets acquire Collin Cowgill

The Mets have acquired outfielder Collin Cowgill from the Athletics in exchange for third baseman prospect Jefry Marte. After the R.A. Dickey trade, GM Sandy Alderson said on a conference call that he was working on a trade to bring in an outfielder. Even after this trade, the Mets will most likely bring in more outfielders that can fill out bench next season.

Cowgill came over to the Athletics in the Trevor Cahill deal last winter. He put up good numbers in the minor leagues, but hasn't really gotten the chance to prove himself at the big league level. He missed most of the 2012 season with an ankle injury, and is known for not only his speed and defense, but his clubhouse support and gritty attitude as well.

Marte has been a well regarded prospect for quite some time with the Mts, but it was evident that he wasn't going to get playing time at the big league level with Wilmer Flores, Zack Lutz and David Wright blocking him on the depth chart. The 21 year old hit .251 in 513 Double-A plate appearances in 2012, and also made 16 errors. He should eventually see a reasonable amount of playing time with Oakland in the future if he continues to develop.

Personally I like this trade because it gives the Mets a player that can platoon with Mike Baxter to start the season. I don't think Cowgill is going to wow anyone with his stats, but he does provide some depth at each outfield position, and is a right handed hitter, which means that Hairston may be on his way out. It is a low risk move, because Marte wasn't really going to get a fair shot with this organization. Marte's defense also worries me, so I doubt that this move is one that the Mets will deeply regret. 

Mets trade Dickey to Toronto, acquire some top-notch prospects

The Mets have officially traded knuckle-baller R.A. Dickey to the Blue Jays. The deal was completed this afternoon once Dickey passed his physical and agreed to a three-year extension with the Blue Jays. The Mets will also send catchers Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas to Toronto. The Mets will receive top catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud (No. 17 overall in the MLB, according to Baseball America) , pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard, veteran catcher John Buck, and outfielder Wuilmer Becerra. 

Ah, where to begin? Dickey was incredible during his Mets' tenure, and I wish him nothing but the best. Hopefully he teams up with Jose Reyes and leads the Blue Jays to success, because I'd like to see Toronto giving the Yankees a hard time in 2013. Dickey said all the right things in his couple of years in New York, and became open to some problems that he experienced as a child. He became a role model to many, and showed that success can be discovered through the knuckle-ball. His demands weren't too high, but we all knew that, from Mets perspective, a trade was going to happen. 

As for Thole, it is a bittersweet moment to see him leave. Thole looked pretty darn good when he first came up, but his lack of power really held back his development. He also had the tough task of handling the knuckle-ball, which is probably the reason that the Blue Jays wanted him. Will he have success in 2013? I don't know, but I wish him the best as well.

As for Nickeas, not much can really be said about him. I thought that the Mets were going to give up a "prospect" in this trade, and Nickeas is not a prospect by any means. The Blue Jays can have him, because he is a third-string catcher at best. Supposedly he works well with his pitchers, but I doubt that he finds his way on the 25-man roster in Toronto.

Now, time for the fun part. The center-piece of this deal was Travis d'Arnaud, and he has incredible upside. He will turn 24 in February, and hit .333 with 16 home runs in Triple-A last season before his season got cut short following knee surgery. Some have speculated that he may have knee problems, but the Mets have apparently reviewed his medical records and everything seems fine. I am excited to see what d'Arnaud can do and I am curious to see if he'll start the season in Triple-A. (I will do an independent article with more detail on d'Arnaud, as well as the other players that were acquired.)

Next we have Noah Syndergaard, who has incredible upside as well. He is 6'5'', and apparently has a blazing fastball. He is only 20 years old, so don't expect to see him in the big leagues anytime soon. I'll say he gets a cup of coffee with the team in 2014, and moves into the rotation by 2015. 

The Mets also acquired John Buck, who will probably begin the season as the Opening Day catcher if d'Arnaud starts out in the minor leagues. Buck has some power to his bat, but strikes out way to much and plays below-average defense. New York also has to pay his $6 million salary for 2013, so that is definitely a bummer.

Finally we have Wuilmer Becerra, who was the final piece of the trade. The 18 year old outfielder had a minor stint with one of the Blue Jays' minor league affiliates in 2012, and broke his jaw on a hit-by-pitch that ultimately ended his season. I don't know what Becerra will become, but he could be a sleeper player in this deal if he ends up panning out.

To conclude all of this, us Mets fans have endured some crazy rumors over the last couple of weeks, but now that a decision has finally been made on Dickey, and Wright for that matter, the organization can move forward and look to continue this rebuilding process. I don't expect the Mets to contend in 2013, but I do expect the club to go out and acquire some more players. The rotation needs to be filled out, and outfield help is needed. So, farewell R.A. Dickey, and thank you for all your contributions.

(Like I said earlier, I will be doing individual articles on each of the players the Mets received in this deal, so stay tuned.)