(Juan L.) Mesa

[Edgy MD]

Among the off-season scavenging the Mets have done of late is the signing of one Wanel Mesa. This one stands out as the guy has had a mostly poor career in the lower minors in the Nationals system, followed by a release, and a run with three indy teams the last two seasons that can best be described as disastrous.

Now, there's no report of a spring training invite, so that's probably no more forthcoming than it would appear deserved. And his low work loads suggest he's been injured in recent years. I typically love these signings, as I enjoy seeing a team with enough courage in their judgment to go for a guy who they see something in, even if whatever they see has been completely absent in the results. But I've got to be curious, if they see something, why not just invite him to camp and work him out for a few weeks. The idea that he's been offered an actual contract suggests that he's either drawn interest from other teams, or he has an agent that has convinced the Mets he has. And for a guy who couldn't get his ERA down to the single digits with the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings, the McAllen Thunder, or the Bridgeport Bluefish, that would be remarkable.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I think I get what they're seeing-- a good-to-fantastic K-rate. If it comes with "plus-" (or "plus-plus-") velocity, then I definitely get what they-- and hypothetical others-- would be seeing, even if it came with wolf-girl-level wildness.

It is a minor-league deal. And somebody has to fill those roster spots, no?

[Edgy MD]

Hey, I'm rooting for him. Again, I'm just surprised that a guy with the last two years looking like that gets a contract up front. But I guess minor league contracts pretty much guarantee little more than the bonus and a few weeks per diems anyway.

[ashie62]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: I think I get what they're seeing-- a good-to-fantastic K-rate. If it comes with "plus-" (or "plus-plus-") velocity, then I definitely get what they-- and hypothetical others-- would be seeing, even if it came with wolf-girl-level wildness. It is a minor-league deal. And somebody has to fill those roster spots, no?

He does indeed...had a whip over 3, yes 3.. Steve Dalkowski

[smg58]

I noticed this one too. Some scout must have seen something that justified a flier. The results don't show it, but it's not like the team is mortgaging their future over this.

[MFS62]

It isn't only his stuff that makes him hard to overlook. IIRC he currently weighs over 300 pounds.

Later

[Edgy MD]

Recall from where? Have you seen the guy at a Bluefish game or something? Official weights can hardly be trusted, but Baseball-Reference has him at 6'3" and 190 and that's really different.

Doesn't look particularly massive...

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Edgy MD wrote: Recall from where? Have you seen the guy at a Bluefish game or something? Official weights can hardly be trusted, but Baseball-Reference has him at 6'3" and 190 and that's really different. Doesn't look particularly massive...

Yeah, but you should see his bottom half. He's like the lost Kardashian brother.

[MFS62]

Edgy MD wrote: Recall from where? Have you seen the guy at a Bluefish game or something? Official weights can hardly be trusted, but Baseball-Reference has him at 6'3" and 190 and that's really different. Doesn't look particularly massive...

There was an article about the ex-Bridgeport Bluefish in a local CT paper. Maybe they saw him. Then again, it could have been a misprint. But that 300 pound number jumped off the page at me.

As for the baseball-reference weight, I saw that too. But are those weights changed from the first time the player appears there?

Later

[Edgy MD]

I imagine there's two times an official player weight gets publicly released in his career --- when he first signs and reports to minor league camp, and that becomes his official "weight" through his minor league career, and when he first reports big league camp, and that becomes his weight thereafter.

But I'd sure like to see that article.

[MFS62]

Edgy MD wrote: I imagine there's two times an official player weight gets publicly released in his career --- when he first signs and reports to minor league camp, and that becomes his official "weight" through his minor league career, and when he first reports big league camp, and that becomes his weight thereafter. But I'd sure like to see that article.

So would I. I searched and couldn't find it.

Later

[ashie62]

You can find out more about him by searching "Fausto Carmona"