Reds' Mesoraco prepared for increased workload behind the plate

GOODYEAR, AZ. -- Devin Mesoraco is from Punsxutawney, Pa., also the home of Punsxutawney Phil, the ground hog who predicts whether or not there will be six more weeks of winter.

But Phil only works once a year, on Feb. 2. Mesoraco, though, wants to work nearly every day of the 2015 baseball season as the No. 1 catcher for the Cincinnati Reds.

"I want to play 161 games, then take off the last day of the regular season after we clinch a playoff spot," said Mesoraco, with only the hint of a smile.

While manager Bryan Price isn't willing to put Mesoraco behind the plate every day, he says he'd like to see him there nearly every day, "Like 135 to 140 games."

Even that is a tall asking price. While hockey goalies take a beating, they don't take the beating of a major league catcher. An NHL goalie, who is more armored up than a baseball catcher, sees about 30 shots on goal a game and the puck doesn't hit him every time.

A baseball catcher receives close to 200 pitches a game and either touches or gets hit by every pitch that isn't put into play.

So, can Mesoraco withstand the punishment? Both he and Price believe he can.

"I anticipate him taking on a higher amount of games this year," said Price. "I know he missed some games to start the season then some more during the season with a hamstring injury. And I also linked more games Johnny Cueto pitched with (backup catcher) Bryan Pena."

Price said that modus operandi is over. Mesoraco also will catch Cueto.

"I'm not going to do that at the start of this season," said Price. "Johnny threw very well to both of our catchers last year. I can be more random with how I used Pena."

Mesoraco understood the method last year and said, "Pena and Johnny had a good thing going and they didn't want to mess with that. At the end of the year, I was able to catch Johnny a couple of times. He is not good because of who is behind the plate. He is good because he is Johnny Cueto. He does do things a little differently and we had to get all the intricacies figured out."

Some fans and media keep asking Price if he might use Mesoraco some at first base to give him a modicum of rest without losing his bat. It was pointed out that San Francisco uses catcher Busty Posey at first base and Milwaukee uses catcher Jonathan Lucroy at first base.

Price, though, quickly responds by saying, "The Giants and Brewers don't have Joey Votto at first base. If Joey is healthy, there won't be many days when he isn't at first base.

"Devin is our No. 1 guy," Price added. "I don't anticipate him playing much first base. He is a young man and we don't know if he is a guy who can catch 135 or 140 games unless we give him that opportunity. I think he can do it and I think he would like to do it."

Does Mesoraco want to do it? Does Punxsutawney Phil make an appearance every Feb. 2?

"Definitely," he said, unequivocally. "Going forward, I'm excited to catch as much as I possible can. I want to be back there a lot. I'm sure there will be times when it makes sense to get Pena in there a couple of days to regroup.

"But as much as they want to write my name in there, that's how many games I want to play," he added. "And I don't think playing first base on my 'off' days is something we should do. If I'm going to catch 140 to 150 games, the days I don't catch I'll need to be completely off."

Mesoraco points to a guy like St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina as his role model.

"This is something I really want to do because it would solidify me as an every day catcher, somebody the pitching staff can count on to be back there, somebody like Yadier Molina. All the best catchers are back there that much and that's where I want to be," he said. "There should be no limitations, no saying, 'This is too much.' I want to be back there. I do all the stuff in the offseason and all the stuff during the season to recover and get ready for the next day."

Remember when they used to play doubleheaders every Sunday and every holiday? They don't do that these days but Mesoraco said, "That's something I'd love to do -- catch both games of a doubleheader."

Mesoraco played only 114 games last year and made 437 plate appearances. But he made the most of them by hitting .273 with 25 home runs, 25 doubles and 80 runs batted in.

The Reds want to see what he might do with 500 plate appearances and that fits Mesoraco like a chest protector.