With the re-signing of Devin Mesoraco, is Travis d’Arnaud’s time with the Mets coming to an end?

When the Mets signed Wilson Ramos this past offseason, it meant that they were adding a catcher that can truly produce for them. After trading Kevin Plawecki to Cleveland, it appeared the team was still invested in Travis d’Arnaud. Now, that may not be the case, as the team signed Devin Mesoraco to a minor-league deal, with an invite to Spring Training.

“Devin is greatly respected among our pitching staff and is extremely well prepared,” stated Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen. “We are hopeful he can contribute in 2019.”

Mesoraco spent eight seasons with the Reds before being traded to the Mets for Matt Harvey. In 66 games for the Mets last season Mesoraco slashed .222/.306/.409 with ten home runs and 30 RBI’s. He missed a majority of September due to a bulging disc in his neck. A first-round pick by the Reds, Mesoraco has been recently plagued by injuries. While he played, however, Mesoraco produced and caught as well as anyone the Mets had at the time.

With the addition of Mesoraco, is d’Arnaud’s job in jeopardy?

While d’Arnaud is considered the true backup to Ramos, both are susceptible to being injured. Since 2013, d’Arnaud has slashed .200/.250/.400 with the team, and has never played in more than 120 games. Plawecki was the star behind the plate, as Travis has allowed 229 batters to steal off of him, with only 62 getting caught. Recovering from Tommy John, this could be d’Arnaud’s final opportunity to shine with the Mets.

While Mesoraco is only slightly better defensively (228 stolen bases and 72 batters caught), he has a track record of being a reliable backstop. If Mesoraco was the third in line, he would be a big help to the Mets. He could very well impress during Spring Training, enough to give manager Mickey Callaway thoughts about who could join the major league roster with Ramos. It does help his cause that he was behind the plate for 21 of Jacob deGrom’s 25 starts following the trade. deGrom would end up having a stellar second half to earn the Cy Young Award.

In 2019, both catchers have something to prove, no one more than d’Arnaud, however. He has been sent down to the minors before, and fans have lost patience with d’Arnaud many times over. With a player in Mesoraco, d’Arnaud will be kept on his toes. The next few months of Spring Training should be extremely important for the Mets and their backstops. Either d’Arnaud proves his worth or Mesoraco receives the ultimate opportunity from a minor-league deal.

Mets fans: Would you prefer d’Arnaud as Ramos’ second in command or Mesoraco?