New York Mets catcher Devin Mesoraco exactly what they needed

Devin Mesoraco is far from perfect yet exactly what the New York Mets needed.

The New York Mets were able to kill two birds with one stone. They traded Matt Harvey to the Cincinnati Reds for catcher Devin Mesoraco. Harvey, who was designated for assignment Saturday, was able to generate enough trade interest and that gave the Mets options.

Sandy Alderson, the GM who I want the Mets to fire, actually pulled off an excellent trade, acquiring Mesoraco, a former All-Star who hit 25 home runs in 2014. He has suffered through some serious injuries over the last three seasons, however, he is now fully healthy. Teaming him up with Jose Lobaton until Kevin Plawecki returns is a nice upgrade.

Mesoraco is a solid defender and has some power as well. Lobaton will eventually go back to AAA as added depth again. While he is not as sexy as J.T. Realmuto, the Mets were able to land a former All-Star with damaged goods, while the Reds will pay all of his remaining salary of over $13 million.

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Harvey will go right into the Reds rotation starting Thursday in Los Angeles. He can at least visit a nice nightclub or two before he joins the club.

The Mets consulted with Todd Frazier and Jay Bruce about Mesoraco, and they raved about him as a teammate. Frazier wound up going on the 10-day DL with a hamstring issue. However, he should return when he’s eligible.

Mesoraco, who’s originally from Pennsylvania, leaves the only team he’s ever played for. He is in the last year of a four-year extension, so the Mets can retain him after the season or let him walk and sign another catcher. At 29, he is the same age as Travis d’Arnaud with a similar injury history.

Lobaton and Nido were with the Mets during Spring Training so they were familiar with the pitchers. Mesoraco will have to start from scratch. It will take him a while to get acclimated to the staff, and hopefully he can pick up quickly. He is probably going to get more playing time than Lobaton. When Plawecki returns, he will probably split time with Mesoraco in a similar arrangement that he had with d’Arnaud.

If the Mets are buyers at the trade deadline, I would still not be surprised if the Mets pursued Realmuto, because he could be their catcher of the future. It’s not realistic to see Mesoraco, Plawecki or d’Arnaud as long-term options.

Next: Mets trade Matt Harvey to Baseball Siberia

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The next couple of months should be very interesting to watch.