Devin

Mesoraco

Mesoraco is apparently done with his playing career at age 32. The former top prospect batted .232/.309/.406 with 325 hits and 58 home runs in 468 major league games for the Reds and Mets between 2011-2018.

There was some thought that the Mets signing of Rene Rivera to a minor league deal would cause the Mets to change their mind and release Mesoraco as he’s requested, but Van Wagenen is claiming that releasing the backstop will cause a “bad precedent” for the club. If you say so. Mesoraco is claiming he’ll retire if not released. We’ll see who budges, if anyone.

Mesoraco asked for his release when the Mets told him he wasn’t making the Opening Day roster, but the team plans to place him on the restricted list instead if he refuses to go to the minors (which would mean he’s still in the organization but not getting paid). We’ll see if the 30-year-old is bluffing, but if he’s not it appears he’ll call it a career after eight major league seasons.

He is currently in limbo because he has not been officially released. Mesoraco told the club he will not go to Triple-A. The Mets will either have to release him or place him on the restricted list. Mesoraco’s once-promising career has been derailed by multiple hip and shoulder injuries. He batted .273/.359/.534 with 25 home runs and 80 RBI back in 2014 for the Reds but has hit a total of 17 homers over the four seasons since then.

The clause would allow any of the trio to leave the Mets if another club wished to add them to their 25-man roster, but there wasn’t any interest. The Mets can now add them to their 25-man roster themselves or send them to the minor leagues.

It came off 2018 All-Star reliever Joe Jimenez. The Mets have Travis d’Arnaud as their backup catcher, but with Mesoraco also able to fill that role, they’d likely be open to trading the more expensive d’Arnaud, and a possible suitor might have just popped up in Kansas City.

Mesoraco could not find a guaranteed major league deal on the sluggish free agent market this winter after posting a relatively disappointing .221/.303/.398 batting line with 11 home runs and 33 RBI in 84 games last season between Cincinnati and New York. He’ll probably be third on the Mets’ depth chart at catcher leading into 2019, behind Wilson Ramos and Travis d’Arnaud, though the team could look to trade d’Arnaud or even cut him.

The Mets held a tenuous 1-0 lead in the seventh inning when pinch-hitter Mesoraco stepped to the dish with two on and deposited a Brad Brach offering over the left-center field boards. The homer was Mesoraco’s 11th in 83 games this year. The backstop, who will be a free agent this winter, has always had serious power, but he hit just .222/.304/.399 this year, clouding his future role with a club.

He doubled twice in the game, including one in the third inning that drove in Dominic Smith. The former Reds catcher has been battling back and neck injuries of late. The nice game boosts his season line up to .223/.306/.391 with 10 home runs and 30 RBI in 268 plate appearances.

Mesoraco has been battling neck and back stiffness, and he hasn’t played since September 3 because of it. He likely won’t have too many more starts after Friday, but he could get at least one more with deGrom scheduled to make two more starts the rest of the year.