Rookie Travis d'Arnaud is the Mets' starting catcher. Has been since he got the call Aug. 17. But with John Buck still lurking on the bench, the Mets could have easily pulled the plug on d'Arnaud if he didn't produce right away.
So much for all that. The Mets traded Buck to the Pirates Tuesday, making Anthony Recker their only recourse at catcher. In other words, d'Arnaud is here to stay.
He hasn't done much with the bat yet, but six walks to six strikeouts in 21 at-bats is pretty good for a youngster. Considering he hardly played in the minors this year because a broken foot, I'm skeptical he'll get going in time to justify a roster spot in single-catcher leagues, where typically only 10 or 12 (depending on the size of the league) catchers are owned, but his upside certainly makes him intriguing in two-catcher formats.