Travis d’Arnaud Sent to Minors

A week ago I speculated that given the Mets injury situation, perhaps Travis d’Arnaud would make the club out of Spring Training. I knew it was a long shot, and today that was confirmed — d’Arnaud has been sent to the minor league camp.

“He played very well,” Sandy Alderson said. “He met all of our expectations, which I think for the organization and Mets fans were fairly high. He did a very nice job. We’re hopeful he’ll have a long career in New York.”

When that career in New York will begin depends on how cheap the Mets want to be. If they simply want to delay his free agency by a year, he will be up before the month of April is out. But if they want to delay his arbitration, we won’t see Travis d’Arnaud until mid season.

I’m sure the Mets would love to wait until the middle of the year, but my guess is John Buck will not be very good, thus forcing the Mets hand. But I wouldn’t put it past the Mets to make us suffer with a poor Buck just so the Mets can save a buck (see what I did there?!)

The Mets on Sunday also outrighted Brandon Hicks to the minors. An apparent favorite of the Mets front office (they traded for him before the Rule 5 draft, so the Mets had to use a spot on the 40 man roster for him), Hicks was terrible, striking out 23 times in 43 spring at bats while hitting a robust .116.

The Mets also sent Brian Bixler, who hit reasonably well, and Aaron Laffey, who pitched reasonably well, to the minors.

But Travis d’Arnaud is the big story. Alderson promised if he traded R.A. Dickey, it would be for someone who could provide an immediate benefit. Once again, Sandy Alderson has lied to us.