After a breakout 2014 campaign, the Reds locked down catcher Devin Mesoraco for four years.
The Cincinnati Reds signed a four-year contract extension with Devin Mesoraco on Monday afternoon, the team announced.
Mesoraco will receive $28 million guaranteed over the four years of the deal, and the contract also includes an extra $2 million in performance bonuses.
With Mesoraco just entering arbitration this offseason, the contract will buy out his arbitration years and what would have been his first year of free agency in 2018. The 26-year-old backstop will earn $2.4 million next season, $4.9 million in 2016, $7.2 million in 2017 and $13 million in the final year of the deal.
The 15th overall selection in the 2007 draft, Mesoraco enjoyed a breakout campaign last year for the Reds. He batted .273/.359/.534 with 25 home runs in 440 plate appearances, finally showing the type of offensive output that made him a heralded prospect down in the minors. After debuting in 2011, Mesoraco hit just .225/.282/.359 with 16 home runs in three seasons as a part-time player prior to 2014.
That changed this past campaign, with Mesoraco leading all major league catchers in home runs and slugging percentage, while earning his first All-Star selection and a few down-ballot NL MVP votes.
Despite Mesoraco's breakout, the Reds missed out on the playoffs for the first time since 2011 last season, finishing with a 76-86 record. Injuries hampered Cincinnati's depth, and generally steady performers like Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips struggled to match their past offensive production.
That makes Mesoraco an increasingly important part of the Reds' future. Along with Todd Frazier and Billy Hamilton, both of whom also enjoyed career-best seasons in 2014, Mesoraco is a part of the next wave of Cincinnati's talented homegrown players.
By extending Mesoraco on Monday, the Reds helped stabilize a big part of their future.
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