After Monday's game against the Twins, the Mets announced that Travis d'Arnaud will remain on the big league roster. John Buck has been activated from the paternity list, and Anthony Recker has been optioned to Triple-A. Sandy Alderson told reporters that Buck will likely shift to being the backup catcher to allow d'Arnaud to have the majority of playing time.
d'Arnaud, the team's top hitting prospect, was called up 4 days ago, and has gone 0-for-7. However, he has walked 5 times in 12 plate appearances, which gives him a .417 on-base percentage. The entire reason for d'Arnaud's promotion was because John Buck was expected to go on the paternity list.
Recker, the team's backup catcher since day one of the season, has been exactly what the team expected of him. His .193 batting average and .244 on-base percentage are well below league average, but he has been a solid backup catcher for the team.
This is the right move, especially considering that the Mets are out of contention, and are looking towards next season. We've heard a lot about d'Arnaud, and now that he is finally healthy, it is time for him to show what he can do at the Major League level.
I have no problem with Buck as the backup catcher. He will definitely add a solid veteran presence for d'Arnaud, and will earn a much needed rest. He was never supposed to become the every-day catcher, but because of d'Arnaud's injury, Buck played much more than he expected.
Recker will be back with the team when the rosters expand in a few weeks, so I don't have too much pity for him. Recker did an average job as the team's backup catcher all season long, and he does have an option for next season, so I expect him to stick with the Mets in 2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment