MMO Roundtable: Who Should Be the Mets’ Backup Catcher?

With Travis d’Arnaud finally getting behind the plate this Spring Training, the Mets are in a position where they are going to have to decide between him and Devin Mesoraco for the backup catcher position. There are legitimate arguments for both players, which will make the Mets decision on this front all the more difficult.

It’s an important decision as well. With Wilson Ramos‘ own injury history, whomever the Mets may select may prove to be more than just a backup for a significant portion of the season. Of course, d’Arnaud and Mesoraco have their own injury histories to take into account which makes this decision all the more fascinating. Taking everything into account, our writers make their recommendations in the latest edition of the MMO Roundtable:

Marissa Credle – Mesoraco Narrative Overblown

Travis d’Arnaud should be the backup. While many think that he is very poor defensively because of his throwing arm, he surely does everything else better than mesoraco defensively, as well as offensively. The issue then comes down to health and if that becomes the topic of debate, it’s easy to forget that Mesoraco himself is also pretty injury prone. The “deGrom pitches better to Mesoraco” narrative is totally blown out of proportion as well, as Jake was so good last year it really didn’t matter who he threw to in the grand scheme of things. Overall, I don’t see there being a big argument for choosing Mesoraco over d’Arnaud, therefore, if he is healthy and ready to go, d’Arnaud should be the backup on Opening Day.

Marshall Field – d’Arnaud a Better Framer

I believe the backup catcher should be d’Arnaud. He better fills in the gaps that Ramos lacks such as framing pitches. Nido can work at Triple-A and work on some of his deficiencies such as hitting. Mesoraco is more vexing because of his near symbiotic relationship with Jacob deGrom – almost makes it worth carrying 3 catchers. But given the fact that d’Arnaud is a better ballplayer than the other choices, he should be the back up catcher with a back up near at hand because of d’Arnaud being prone to injuries.

Jack Hendon – d’Arnaud for the Time Being

I’m most inclined to give d’Arnaud the backup spot at the moment. Given what Ramos lacks as a pitch-framer, you can’t roll the dice a second time with Mesoraco, and certainly not when it would come fully at the expense of somebody currently on the 40-man roster. D’Arnaud is exceptional in this field, and can hit reasonably well enough to man a position part-time.

With that said, I do think the conversation around Mesoraco’s relationship with deGrom sheds light on another necessity for whoever backs up Ramos: in this regard, I would not be opposed to an eventual handoff of sorts to Tomás Nido. Nido should certainly continue to work on his hitting in Syracuse, but if you can get even a .650 OPS out of him, you’re looking at an effective weapon behind the dish.

Nido is already in a league of his own as a framer, and has complemented Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler exceptionally since he first collected reps last season. I like d’Arnaud for the time being, but think the Mets would be wise to prioritize Nido if he earns the opportunity down the line.

Mojo Hill – Easily d’Arnaud

I don’t think there’s any question that it should be d’Arnaud as long as he’s healthy now that Plawecki’s gone. He is a superior catcher to Mesoraco offensively and especially defensively, and I feel that he has more upside. If d’Arnaud starts the season on the IL, I would give the spot to Mesoraco at first, but if Nido is hitting well in Syracuse then I’d call him up to replace Mesoraco because of Nico’s far superior defense.

If Nido proves that he can hit Major League pitching to at least some degree, I would prefer him over d’Arnaud too, eventually. But for now, assuming he’s healthy I have to go with d’Arnaud, and it’s a pretty easy decision.

Matt Mancuso – d’Arnaud Best Option

While quite a few people are clamoring for the Mets to move Travis d’Arnaud, this proposed idea makes no sense. D’Arnaud should stick as the Mets backup catcher going into the season simply because he’s the best option remaining. His defensive concerns notwithstanding, he is the better player between Tomas Nido, Devin Mesoraco and him. Nido has simply looked overmatched at the plate over the last two seasons, hitting to a paltry .181/.210/.255 slash-line.

It’s clear he needs more seasoning in the minors. Meanwhile, Mesoraco’s signing should have only been considered as a depth move. Ramos and d’Arnaud have combined to miss 357 games in the last two years so a catcher that could play everyday in the Minors so he can stay fresh is a necessity. While he’s not the perfect solution, d’Arnaud is still the best option to function as the Mets backup catcher.

Tommy Rothman – d’Arnaud Has Higher Ceiling

Travis d’Arnaud should be the backup catcher. He still has a higher ceiling than Mesoraco and Nido, and he’s pretty much flat-out better than both. His biggest issue is that he can’t stay healthy, but we should replace him if/when he gets hurt, not before. You could argue that carrying Nido allows us to have a late-inning defensive replacement available, but Ramos isn’t a bad defender, and how often do you sub out your catcher mid-game? As for Mesoraco, we know deGrom likes throwing to him, but if deGrom can’t pitch well to someone like Ramos, maybe he’s not worth the big money he wants . . . I’m sure Jake can pitch to the Buffalo.

Tim Ryder – Carry Three Catchers

I’m not sure the Mets will have a designated backup catcher, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see Van Wagenen carry three backstops into the year. Mesoraco will likely be deGrom’s guy and d’Arnaud is lining up to be the guy to spell Ramos when necessary. Wilson Ramos is gonna be a monster in this lineup. Having d’Arnaud, Mesoraco, or even Tomas Nido as his backup would be fine by me.

Dilip Sridhar – Mesoraco Isn’t Good

D’Arnaud should be the backup. Mesoraco is not very good by any measure. D’Arnaud provides a higher ceiling on offense. The only reason this is a discussion is because deGrom supposedly likes throwing to Mesoraco. Give deGrom at $130 million and he’ll be very happy to throw to people participating in this round table. Catchers who can’t frame and can’t hit are not worth keeping on an MLB roster.

John Sheridan – deGrom Was Great with d’Arnaud Too

The only reason why this is up for discussion is the purported relationship between Mesoraco and deGrom. The narrative lies along the lines of how prepared Mesoraco was behind the plate, and as a result, deGrom felt more comfortable throwing to him.

Of course, this was not the narrative in Cincinnati or when the Mets obtained him. Likely, this was the result of Mesoraco being fed better information by Mickey Callaway and Dave Eiland. With d’Arnaud only playing four games last year, he did not get that benefit.

When you strip that away, you’re left with a catcher who is a poor pitch framer and an even worse hitter. Really, Mesoraco is worse than d’Arnaud in both departments. More than that, it is exremely difficult to pinpoint just one thing Mesoraco does substantially better than d’Arnaud. It’s because d’Arnaud is simply a better player, and for those who invoke Mesoraco’s handling of deGrom, we all forget deGrom’s epic 2015 postseason was with d’Arnaud behind the plate.

In a rarity, our writers all agree d’Arnaud should be on the Opening Day roster as a backup. Do you agree with this consensus? We look forward to continuing this discussion in the comments section.