According to MLB Fox reporter Ken Rosenthal, 26-year-old catcher Devin Mesoraco has agreed to a four-year extension with the Cincinnati Reds worth at least 28 million with 2 million in possible incentives he could earn.
The extension covers all three of Mesoraco's arbitration seasons along with his very first year of free agency keeping him in Cincinnati until the end of the 2018 season. Devin was originally drafted by the Reds 15th overall in the 2007 amateur draft and was regarded as a top catching prospect while rising through their minor league system.
2014 was a breakout year for Mesoraco who didn't get a chance to become a full-time starter for the club until last year. In 114 games Mesoraco would put together a solid .273 batting average while launching 25 homeruns and knocking in 80 RBI. Along with that he played solid defense behind the plate where he continued to improve bit by bit as the season went along. The biggest concern for Mesoraco currently behind the plate is allowing too many baserunners to steal on him, last year he only threw out 18 out of 69 who attempted to do so.
This all led to Devin being named to his first all-star game at the major league level and finishing 21st in MVP voting. Even though it took a while for Mesoraco to develop into what many scouts envisioned he would, he's learned to hold down a position that many teams struggle to fill from season to season. After struggling a bit in his time in the majors from 2011-2013, Mesoraco finished the 2014 season leading all MLB catchers in slugging percentage, homeruns, and OPS even after landing on the 15-day disabled list twice early on.
If Mesoraco is able to replicate this same production throughout the 2015 season he'll quickly have his name established among the top catchers across the league. This current extension works out pretty well for Mesoraco who will be able to become a free agent for the first time at age 30, possibly setting him up for another good contract if he continues to produce like he did in 2014. It will be interesting to watch this season if what we saw in 2014 was the start of Mesoraco's all-star career, or just a good year during a time in which things weren't going too well for the Reds.
The extension has the possibility to be a really good bargain for the Reds if he continues to produce and stay healthy over the next four years, but if Mesoraco proves to be closer to his 2013 form Cincinnati could end up looking pretty stupid by the end of the contract.