Washington Nationals: Where Derek Norris Ranks Among NL East Catchers
By Chris Lacey
4. Travis d’Arnaud (NYM)
2016 Stats: 75 G, .247/.307/.323, .629 OPS, 62 H, 4 HR, 27 R, 15 RBI, 19 BB, 50 SO and -0.8 bWAR
d’Arnaud had trouble staying on the field once again last year. The young backstop has eclipsed more than 100 games just once in his four seasons in New York. He has the talent to make an impact on the diamond, as he hit .268 and amassed a .825 OPS with 12 home runs the previous season.
While d’Arnaud is a valuable player for the Mets, that value diminishes when he’s injured most of the time. It’s tough to replace a bat like his in the lineup, given his ability to drive the ball to all fields and come through when opportunities to score runs are presented.
He has spent time on the disabled list in each of the last four seasons with a plethora of injuries occurring. It’s nearly impossible to find a comfort zone when you’re always trying to get healthy.
The Mets need a healthy version of d’Arnaud for 2017 to have any chance of contending for a playoff spot. He represents another source of power in the lineup for the Mets, and it’s imperative that he remains on the diamond and not trying to recuperate from another ailment.
It does make you think that if d’Arnaud has another lengthy stint on the disabled list in 2017, would the Mets consider moving on from him?