Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud has agreed to terms with the club, avoiding arbitration on a one-year, $3.515 million deal.
The 29-year-old backstop saw just four games in the majors this past season, collecting one home run and three RBI before hitting the disabled list with a torn ligament in his right elbow in mid-April. He underwent Tommy John surgery and is expected back sometime within the 2019 season, though his exact role on the team has yet to be clearly defined. When healthy, he’s averaged .245/.306/.406 at the plate with a .712 OPS and 47 career home runs.
With d’Arnaud’s contract in the books, the Mets have another six players to settle with before Opening Day. Barring any trades, that list includes right-handers Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and Zack Wheeler, left-hander Steven Matz, catcher Kevin Plawecki and outfielder Michael Conforto. Earlier this week, it was suggested that the Mets could flip one of their backup catchers -- either d’Arnaud or Plawecki -- for infield/outfield depth, though it doesn’t appear any momentum is driving that kind of deal forward just yet.
