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Rays Release Francisco Mejia

By Steve Adams | March 28, 2024 at 3:27pm CDT

Francisco Mejia’s return to the Rays organization will be a brief one. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel reports that the Rays released the veteran backstop, who’d signed a minor league deal in late February. Mejia is once again a free agent.

The 28-year-old Mejia signed a minor league deal with the Angels over the winter but was granted his release early in camp after the Halos apparently changed their plans behind the dish. He returned to the Rays a few days later in hopes of winning a roster spot with the club for whom he’d suited up over the three prior seasons.

Mejia only tallied 19 plate appearances in big league camp with the Rays but hit well in that small sample, going 6-for-18 with a pair of doubles, a walk and two strikeouts. Mejia was in the mix for some catching time alongside Rene Pinto, competing with fellow non-roster invitee Alex Jackson in that regard. Yesterday’s acquisition of Ben Rortvedt altered the Rays’ plans, however. Rortvedt opened the season as the second catcher alongside Pinto, pushing Jackson to Triple-A alongside journeyman Rob Brantly. With Mejia again left as something of an odd man out, he’ll head back to the market in search of new opportunities.

Once one of the game’s top all-around prospects, Mejia has yet to hit at the major league level despite piling up more than five years of service time between Cleveland, San Diego and Tampa Bay. He touts an excellent .306/.350/.519 batting line in 633 career plate appearances at the Triple-A level, but despite showing promise in his first season with the Rays, he’s just a .239/.284/.394 hitter in nearly 1100 MLB plate appearances.

Mejia’s defense has also been panned over the years. He’s long been graded as a below-average framer, and his ability to control the running game completely evaporated last season. In 2023, he threw out just four of the 42 runners who attempted to take a bag against him. Statcast also ranks him as one of the least-effective catchers in the game when it comes to blocking balls in the dirt.

Despite the lack of big league success, Mejia is a switch-hitter with an impressive track record in Triple-A who’s still just 28. Catching help is always in demand around the league, and while a team certainly isn’t likely to plug the former top prospect right onto its big league roster, he should find opportunities to join someone’s Triple-A club and work his way back to the big leagues.

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Tampa Bay Rays Transactions Francisco Mejia

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View Comments (21)
Post a Comment

21 Comments

  1. MLB Top 100 Commenter

    1 year ago

    Francisco needs a location to help him hone his defensive skills. His bat is more than adequate for a backup catcher.

    6
    Reply
  2. Mercenary.Freddie.Freeman

    1 year ago

    Can Ben be the newest Rays miracle?

    Reply
  3. Motor City Beach Bum

    1 year ago

    Maybe Mejia would be of interest as a fallback option for the Tigers. Benboom doesn’t inspire confidence and Dingler is slated for AAA.

    4
    Reply
    • Gwynning

      1 year ago

      Well said Bummer, mid-season form

      1
      Reply
    • Gwynning

      1 year ago

      His lack of Defense is a stickler though, buyer beware.

      4
      Reply
      • Motor City Beach Bum

        1 year ago

        Definitely. I was reading today how AJ Hinch has helped his catchers (especially Rogers) improve/focus on their defence. He’d be at AAA so maybe that wouldn’t fa tor in. I doubt he’d be someone they’d look at since Dingler seems like he’s going to get the bulk of the at bats at Toledo.

        1
        Reply
    • Motor City Beach Bum

      1 year ago

      Hopefully a AAA nightmare for pitchers but I doubt it!

      1
      Reply
    • GarryHarris

      1 year ago

      I like the idea of Francisco Mejia getting some help in Detroit but not at the MLB level at first. Detroit must have defensive catchers to work with pitchers and Meija may be the very worst defensive Catcher in MLB at this time.

      2
      Reply
  4. baked mcbride

    1 year ago

    This guy hit a big home run off me in MLBtheShow. I was mad. Really bad pitch.

    3
    Reply
    • Gwynning

      1 year ago

      Reminds me of Kole Calhoun; I took my brother deep in a big game, bottom of the 9th, pinch-hit with Kole and now he friggin hates him haha

      2
      Reply
    • CravenMoorehead

      1 year ago

      Hope you put a 95mph fastball between the numbers on his back in his next plate appearance

      3
      Reply
      • Gwynning

        1 year ago

        That’ll learnt ‘im!

        2
        Reply
        • CravenMoorehead

          1 year ago

          Give em the ol Bob Gibson treatment fr fr

          3
          Reply
        • Gwynning

          1 year ago

          While I’m “young enough” to have not watched Gibby play, I have done enough research to know he’s downright nasty af, mean, filthy… and perhaps Top 3 all-time. My vote for most dominant season ever =

          baseball-reference.com/players/split.fcgi?id=gibso…

          Happy Opening Day Crave Dawg!

          3
          Reply
        • CravenMoorehead

          1 year ago

          Hope all is well my friend Mr G

          Keep on Gwynning

          2
          Reply
  5. Andy A

    1 year ago

    Like their catchers that have been in Wisconsin. Rortvedt is from WI. Jackson and Brantly both played sparingly for the Brewers

    Reply
  6. CrikesAlready

    1 year ago

    AJ Preller Gave up a lot to get this guy, assure that he wasn’t going to pan out…

    Reply
  7. Buff Barnacles

    1 year ago

    Nice article. Wrong link for Rob Brantly.

    Reply
  8. HalosHeavenJJ

    1 year ago

    There has to be something we aren’t being told.

    Reply
  9. metsfan69

    1 year ago

    Mets wya. 3 catchers is never bad.

    Reply
  10. minor league guy

    1 year ago

    brewers could be a potential landing spot if Haase elects free agency and Quero’s injured shoulder becomes an issue…

    Reply

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