At 213 we did not think at the end of 2018 that we would be writing a Devin Mesoraco NRI preview in the same week that pitchers and catchers report to camp. Knowing the Mets propensity to resign players who were with the team, it seemed plausible if not likely that Mesoraco found his way to the 2019 club however not in an NRI position. We thought the Mets catcher situation would end up in one of the following ways:
- Plawecki and d’Arnaud
- FA signing and Mesoraco
- FA signing and one of Plawecki/d’Arnaud
- Mesoraco and one of Plawecki/d’Arnaud
So when the Mets signed Wilson, after tendering a contract to d’Arnaud we thought that was the end of the Mesoraco era in Queens. But baseball FA is weird and ignored Mesoraco’s marginal improvements in Queens last year post trade so here we are.
Career: .232/.309/.406/100 DRC+
2018 Mets: .222/.306/.409/99 DRC+
With the Mets last year, Mesoraco was almost exactly his career line, which sitting at 100 DRC+ means he’s exactly average. It was an uptick for him by DRC+, he had one astounding year in 2014 where he posted a 135 and then has touched anything about 89 any other year except last year.
Since he’s not consistently an average player, generally slightly below average, he’s here on an NRI. Out of all the catchers in camp though (there are 7) he stands the best chance to upset d’Arnaud. He also stands the best chance to leave camp as a free agent if he isn’t given a spot on the roster.
On the other hand, Brodie likes to trade and having Mesoraco in camp will allow the Mets to entertain serious offers on d’Arnaud, if he produces.
If anything Mesoraco makes an interesting sub plot for Mets this spring. What if he tears it up and makes the team? What if Wilson and d’Arnaud tear it up enough to be starters and d’Arnaud is traded? What if Mesoraco is better than d’Arnaud? We’ll get our answers in about 2 weeks when the games start! Until then there is no shortage of backstops for pitchers to throw to.
