The Mets have officially activated catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud after recalling him from Triple-A Las Vegas and then placed John Buck on paternity leave. He will make his much anticipated major league debut tonight against the San Diego Padres.
“It will be nice to see him in a New York Mets uniform,” Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said. “At the end of three days, we’ll see where we are.”
“There’s been a lot of anticipation and some disappointment, given the injury that he sustained earlier in the year — more disappointment on his part than probably anyone else’s,” Alderson said. “So I think from his standpoint as well as ours, there’s a lot of anticipation.”
The 24-year-old was the centerpiece of the trade that sent R.A. Dickey to the Blue Jays in December and is regarded by many as the best catching prospect in the majors and the 22nd ranked prospect by Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com.
A broken foot has kept d’Arnaud out longer than expected, but he finally will get the opportunity to show off his immense talent to a fanbase that has been anxiously awaiting his arrival.
D’Arnaud has been compared to some of the best catchers in the game and has been highly touted for his ability to hit for power as well as average. He has improved his game defensively over the years and last week I asked Noah Syndergaard about him. “He calls a terrific game and it was exciting for me to pitch to him.”
Meanwhile, good news from John Buck….
Bentley Ryan Buck is finally here! I can't explain how proud I am of my wife. Thnx everyone for the love & support. pic.twitter.com/tTCaW2TafJ
— John Buck (@johnbuck44) August 17, 2013
Congratulations to John Buck and his wife…
With Buck out for the next three days, the Mets will get a long look at their prized prospect and the odds are very good that he may very well remain with the team even after Buck returns. It certainly sounded that way from listening to what Alderson had to say last night.
Anthony Recker will likely be the odd man out if that happens, but with roster expansion only two weeks away, his hiatus in Vegas won’t be too long.
This is an exciting time for the Mets and their fanbase…
After four consecutive losing seasons, the team is now brimming with young talent that has many of us hopeful for a big turnaround and the expectation of better days ahead. While there is still some work to be done, 2014 should be a turning point for the team as they embark on a future that looks very bright.
