The New York Mets sent Devin Mesoraco to Triple-A, but the veteran catcher is now contemplating a major career decision.
As Opening Day approaches, the New York Mets are making tough decisions to widdle the roster down to size. Although he had a nice campaign with the Metropolitans, Devin Mesoraco’s days as a Met appear to be over.
New round of cuts: Rajai Davis, Adeiny Hechavarria, Carlos Gomez, Hector Santiago and Ryan O’Rourke.
Devin Mesoraco has been informed he will not make the team and is currently “reassessing his situation,” according to the Mets.
— Steve Gelbs (@SteveGelbs) March 23, 2019
Steve Gelbs of SNY is reporting that Mesoraco was “reassessing his situation,” but that was noticeably vague. MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo added more context to the situation, and it doesn’t sound good for either party involved.
To clarify: if the Mets do not grant Mesoraco his release, he is prepared to retire. His hope is that the Mets grant him the release, giving him a chance to hook on with another organization.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) March 23, 2019
This is tough because Mesoraco clearly doesn’t want to toil away in Triple-A Syracuse waiting for an opportunity that may or may not come. He’s a seasoned veteran and he believes he should be on a big-league roster. By threatening to retire, he puts the Mets in a tough place.
From the Mets perspective, Mesoraco would have been a nice option to have behind glass in case of emergency. Wilson Ramos was signed to be the everyday catcher, but backup Travis d’Arnaud is notoriously injury prone.
Furthermore, Mesoraco’s slash line (.222/.306/.409) was mediocre, at best, but he knows how to handle a pitching staff. He and Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom had an undeniable connection last season. Of course, deGrom is a stud and he should be able to twirl it no matter who’s behind the plate, but it’s unclear if he’ll miss Mesoraco’s pitch-framing ability.
“I threw the ball really well to him,” deGrom told DiComo. “He is going to be missed. Great guy. I wish him the best…I guess we’ll just have to see what happens there.”
DiComo also notes that 21 of deGrom’s 32 starts were with Mesoraco as his battery mate.
There were a number of big names cut by the Mets as well. Rajai Davis, Adeiny Hechavarria, and Carlos Gomez are all veteran players, but they clearly weren’t in the plans for 2019.
