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Red Report - Devin Mesoraco

Will the Reds starting catcher be healthy, or starting, or the catcher? Time is a flat circle.

Cincinnati Reds Photo Day Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Fast Facts

Position: Catcher (?)
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Height: 6’1” Weight: 220 lbs.

High School: Punxsutawney High School (Punxsutawney, PA)
College: Hard Knocks, Cincinnati, O-H-I-O

Organizational Information

Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1st round (15th pick) of the 2007 amateur draft.
Signed June 22, 2007
Debut: September 3, 2011
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 2012 season
2017 Contract Status: Signed through 2018, 4yr/$28m
Free Agent: 2019

Transactions

June 7, 2007: Signed by the Reds.
A lot of times after that: Placed on the Disabled List.

Career Stats

2016 Heat Zones and Spray Charts

Moving Pictures

No Reds catchers were hurt in the making of this gif

This used to happen...

2017 Projections

SOURCE PA HR R RBI SB AVG/OBP/SLG DEF fWAR
SOURCE PA HR R RBI SB AVG/OBP/SLG DEF fWAR
Depth Charts 384 15 41 43 3 .233/.311/.415 -5.1 1.9
Steamer 253 9 26 30 2 .228/.304/.401 -5.1 1.2
Fans 313 9 32 35 0 .243/.326/.384 -4.4 1.9
ZiPS 170 7 19 18 1 .238/.318/.430 -1.0 0.4

Outlook

What is left to be said?

When it comes to Opening Day, Mesoraco being ready is the key to the roster’s overall shape.

So far, he feels good.

The kinks, however, for sure ain’t worked out.

His role for the year (all of it), will ultimately determine Tucker Barnhart’s.

His health status has had the team considering veteran catching options.

By the way, great-name-haver Derek Norris is available.

This write-up feels lazy, but I’m not really sure there’s anything new to say about Devin Mesoraco in 2017. We don’t know if he’ll ever be healthy enough to play catcher full time. If he can’t, we don’t really know what that means for the Reds catching position, going forward. And, if he can’t still, we don’t know what that means about Devin Mesoraco going forward.

What if Devin Mesoraco has to be an outfielder? We didn’t know shit then, but they tried that in August 2015 before ultimately deciding on surgery.

Devin has no more labra to give (that’s not true, he has one more to give, but please oh god please no).

So, this is where we are. Devin Mesoraco is supposed to be, at least planned to be... the team wants him to be?.. the Reds starting catcher this season. We don’t know how many days that entails per week. Or how his body will hold up to it.

But, until they find out... I guess we’re where we’ve always been.