6:26pm: This move is now official. Infielder Matt Duffy was shifted to the 60-day injured list to create 40-man space; the team will wait to make a corresponding active roster move.
6:03pm: The Rays have struck a deal with the Dodgers to acquire catcher Travis d’Arnaud, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Cash considerations will go to Los Angeles in return.
This represents the continuation of d’Arnaud’s already disjointed season. After working back to health in the wake of Tommy John surgery, he opened up as the Mets’ backup backstop but was dumped at a surprisingly early juncture.
The Dodgers signed the out-of-options d’Arnaud as a righty bench bat with designs on trying him at other positions, but instead pivoted quickly to today’s move. d’Arnaud is now slated to help fill in while the Rays deal with injuries to their top two backstops (Mike Zunino and Michael Perez).
Perhaps it’s not surprising to see these organizations showing interest in d’Arnaud as a fill-in and possible bounceback performer. He was long considered quite talented and has at times been a quality-hitting catcher. Best of all, the New York club is on the hook for d’Arnaud’s $3.52MM salary (less a pro-rated portion of the league minimum) so it’s a virtual free-ride for other outfits.
There’s no reason to think that the Dodgers soured on d’Arnaud after watching him take just one plate appearance, though perhaps they weren’t enthralled by what they saw when they worked him out at first base and left field. Perhaps the team was simply willing to let him go because there was a clear opportunity for him in Tampa Bay and because it was just as interested in utilizing other players to fill out the roster.
nmendoza7
That was a solid five days with the Dodgers.
abcrazy4dodgers
This may put a dent into the chances of him wearing “LA” on the HOF plaque..
fox471 Dave
Smile.
thecoffinnail
It does improve his chances for a ring though. If he can make his way to Houston, Milwaukee and Philadelphia he should get one.
herecomethephillies2018
I can already see the stories that will be written about this if the Dodgers win it all this year and he gets a WS ring after one AB.
stan lee the manly
If the Dodgers can’t use their voodoo magic to turn him into a hitter then nobody can
Ashtem
Well said but at least he gets more playing time on the Rays
BlueSkyLA
In five days?
So…. where did everyone go who thought this signing made sense when it happened? Come on, you know who you are.
cecildawg
Blueshi? Huh? Not so fun now? Right Eyesti? Now you hjoke man. you got you. Hahaha. they say things you say not. Hahahh.
BlueSkyLA
Sorry, what language is this?
cecildawg
Blue sty say sorry not sorry but you say. Ha ahah.
marijuasher
No one said anything other than why were you bitching so much about the signing in the first place.
I know who I am, and I know exactly what I said. I also now know you have some serious issues which I had addressed previously.
Fun!
Tdskaine713
This guy said the Dodgers could have done their voodoo on him so funny but true. Every time the dodgers sign a nobody it’s like they get them doing that Pedro Serrano hats for bats stuff and they become stars. Max muncy? Like who honestly seen that coming. He’s a stud though. I’m an astros fan in just saying though, even if they’re not spending money, their getting good players. How could every scout missed max muncy and him come out and hit 35 home runs in almost 400 at bats. These are the type of signings that always end up paying off that no one seen coming. Just switches team, stays healthy and rakes. Then again d’Arnaud kinda sucks lol just saying he could pan out who knows
Old User Name
I ask Jobu to come. Take fear from bats.
BlueSkyLA
It’s happened twice, Muncy and Taylor. Make it three, if you want to go back five years to include Turner. Not exactly a trend and certainly not something that can somehow be expected.
Anyway, caught a lot of you know what for saying that d’Arnaud didn’t make any sense for the Dodgers. Seems nobody is going to admit to being wrong about that. Or maybe they are confessing but can’t be heard over the deafening roar of the crickets.
jbigz12
No you were getting all up in arms about taking a shot on a guy….mlbtraderumors.com/2019/05/latest-on-dodgers-plans…
They pivoted and went another direction. Not a big deal. It never was to anyone but you.
BlueSkyLA
Another swing and a miss. I wasn’t getting “up in arms” about anything. I pointed out the pointlessness of this signing, and five days later with no “shot” even being taken, the pointlessness of it should be obvious to everyone.
Cole Shepherd
Dude, they flipped real estate in a week and made a little cash.
BlueSkyLA
Dude, it was pointless. Just look at the facts. You tell me why they’d sign a catcher to play FB and LF when he’d never played either position? It had zero chance of working, is what I said, and it didn’t. What’s the argument?
spinach
Troll.
jbigz12
The dodgers recall Rocky Gale, who happens to play catcher after trading D’arnaud. This honestly makes it 10x more funny.
marijuasher
You’re getting up in arms now, Man. Just like you did then.
But I get it! We’re all crazy.
KugZilla
I dunno about not making “cents” for the Dodger’s. But they did make at least some dollars in the deal.
Then again. It still is chump change in pro sports.
KugZilla
Made enough to buy some Gatorade and sunflower seeds for the clubhouse I am sure!
Goku the Knowledgable One
Ha.. maybe they should use that voodoo magic on say Muncy or Turner
kenleyfornia2
What a ride. Can’t wait for #72 to go into the ring of honor
jimmertee
Rays are going to trade D’Arnaud back to Mets for Thor.
chicagofan1978
On a almost related note, can mlb move them out of Tampa like tomorrow please? Put them at a minor league stadium temporarily anywhere else in Florida so they can draw some people. Such a great team that has never drawn, it’s very depressing
DarkSide830
they can get rid of the Marlins and move the Rays there. Basically all of the leagues problems solved right then and there.
chicagofan1978
That would put a lot of people out of jobs, put them in Montreal or just get them out of that area of Tampa. It will be so much better for baseball. And besides did the marlins even draw when they were good?
ham77
That’s the problem. They aren’t in Tampa, they are in St Pete. Move them over to Tampa into a new stadium and they will draw better.
DTD
They won’t draw much more if any because Florida is a tourist and retirement destination, not a baseball state. Florida should be for ST only and move both teams to areas that will actually appreciate a team.
kc38
Can you tell me why ST is here then? If people don’t care about baseball
Cat Mando
kc38
For the same reason ST was held in Arkansas…weather. The same reason half the teams use AZ (well one of the 2 reasons actually…ST started in AZ for weather and to avoid the racism, at the time, in FL).
I agree with DTD, retirement and vacation destination is not a good mix for MLB teams. The marlins have cracked 2m fans only 3 times.
chicagofan1978
Spring training is there for the weather, and fans of pretty much every team reside there. This team is loaded and it’s a shame that the crowd was so pro Yankee yesterday. You can almost see the disappointment on the players faces when they heard the let’s go Yankees chants
Bone19
SLC would love the rays!
I’m sure Portland or Montreal would as well!
maybe even LV? I mean hockey seemed to do well there, no?
DarkSide830
un just two days, this team managed to turn over their entire catching staff! Find out the secret now!
Matt Galvin
Orlando.
Bbrom
With our huge French population in Portland we will take D’Arnaud and his Rays out west. Merci!
captainsalty
So drop him from my fantasy team or no?
Sheep8
Reminds me of Piazza as a Marlin!
Manfra1
I have always wondered about the ‘cash considerations’. How much cash are we talking here? Paid immediately?
Rickey O'Sunnyvale
Dodgers: Will you give us cash for D’Arnaud?
Rays: We’ll consider it.
Dodgers: Deal.
Soiree
When does he go on the IL?