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Reigning National League Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey is expected to make the move from New York to Toronto this winter, and in exchange for one of the game's best pitchers, the Mets will reportedly acquire talented catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud according to ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin.
The 23-year-old Lakewood, California native has spent the last five years developing his game in the minor leagues, but is primed to make the jump to the majors.
Here we'll introduce you to d'Arnaud and break down what Mets fans can expect from their club's newest acquisition.
Career Highlights
Travis d'Arnaud played his high school baseball at Lakewood High in Southern California and was drafted 37th overall by the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round of the 2007 MLB Amateur Draft.
After playing three seasons in the minors for Philly, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010 in a move that involved pitcher Roy Halladay. D'Arnaud has played the past three seasons in the minors; he played some of the best baseball of his career this past season for Triple-A Las Vegas in the Pacific Coast League.
His strong play recently now reportedly has him on the move as a centerpiece in a major trade.
Scouting Report
D'Arnaud has tons of potential as a big bat and as a superb catcher in the major leagues. He'll turn 24 this February and has tons of experience playing in the minors that he can put to use in the future.
He's an above-average offensive player, batting .333, slugging .595 and hitting 16 home runs in 67 games for Triple-A Las Vegas in 2012. D'Arnaud also possesses quality speed that allows him to get around the bases with relative ease.
Here's a look at d'Arnaud going deep for the Blue Jays against the Houston Astros in spring training last March.
Defensively, d'Arnaud has been solid recently, recording a fielding percentage of .991 or better in each of his past four seasons in the minors. Since making the jump from high school to the minors, d'Arnaud hasn't tallied more than six errors in a single season.
Here's a look at him warming up a pitcher for Toronto in spring training.
Obviously there's no pressure involved in catching balls from a pitcher in warmup, but here you can tell d'Arnaud looks comfortable at the position and has the basic skill set necessary to have success as a major league catcher.
Clearly d'Arnaud must prove that his talent can translate to the majors, but given what we've seen from the minor league All-Star over the past few years, it's safe to assume that he'll earn his way into the Mets' lineup in no time.
Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter.
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