Mets not likely to spend on a catcher this offseason

The Mets are not inclined to spend any money this offseason to address their catching situation, according to John Harper of the New York Daily News. The team appears content with Travis d’Arnaud at the position for at least another year.

The 27-year-old is coming off a tremendously disappointing season in which he hit just a .247/.307/.323 in just 75 games, and saw his power numbers drop substantially. This came after several injury-filled seasons that have raised questions about the catcher’s durability and his capability of being an everyday catcher.

The Mets could have looked to upgrade this offseason and get a more reliable backstop. That said, the best option on the catching market is probably Matt Wieters, and he does not come without flaws himself. Other notable free agent catchers still available include Kurt Suzuki and Chris Iannetta.

Harper also noted that the Mets are trying to get d’Arnaud to alter his tendency to “wrap” his bat around his head pre-swing. Fangraphs recently analyzed the difference between d’Arnaud’s success when he does and doesn’t wrap the bat in his stance. They concluded that d’Arnaud pulls the ball less and hits for less power—two things that are almost certainly related—when his bat wrap is more pronounced. The Mets will undoubtedly continue to work with him to refine his pre-swing stance, with all parties hoping for a powerful return in 2017.