The Mets’ party line was that Travis d’Arnaud was evaluated over two months, including spring training, and not in 25 disjointed plate appearances. That the willingness to designate the catcher for assignment Sunday demonstrated an emphasis on winning, not squeezing pennies since the franchise might have to eat $3.52 million.
That is one way to look at it.
Here is another: miscalculation at multiple points in handling d’Arnaud and panic four-plus weeks into the season.
An organization better at scapegoating than winning might follow this scenario: Get the attention of the clubhouse by axing a struggling veteran (see ya, d’Arnaud), if the unsatisfactory play persists demote a player perceived as too comfortable (watch your back, Robert Gsellman, if you cannot do better at keeping the team in games when behind or Amed Rosario if those backhand efforts don’t improve), a few more weeks and a coach goes (let’s just say pitching coach Dave Eiland can use the touted starters to pitch better) and finally, if nothing else works, fire the manager (are you renting or did you buy, Mickey Callaway?