San Diego Padres: The murky future ahead for Francisco Mejia

Does Francisco Mejia still have a future with the San Diego Padres?

Has Francisco Mejia played his final game in a San Diego Padres uniform? It’s a hard question to answer right now, but the optimism and excitement surrounding the former top prospect are quickly fading, leading to a critical year for the 25-year-old backstop.

Once a top prospect in the Cleveland Indians system and one of the top catching prospects in baseball, Mejia found his way to San Diego in a 2018 trade that sent rookie reliever Adam Cimber and closer Brad Hand to Cleveland in yet another deal that had the initial look of another quality AJ Preller move.

But it hasn’t been all San Diego sunshine and good vibes for Francisco Mejia since joining the Friars.

There was a glimmer of hope in 2019, while splitting time with Austin Hedges behind the dish. Mejia appeared in 79 games, hitting .265 with eight home runs and 96 wRC+. Most of the questions surrounding Mejia and his future were never about his bat, but his ability to stick behind the plate. With an elite defender in Hedges also on the roster, it was going to take a big defensive improvement from Mejia to take over full-time catching duties.

But then came 2020. Mejia played in just 17 games, suffering a thumb injury before being sent down to San Diego’s alternate site to close out the season.

In his short stint, Mejia hit a pedestrian .077 with a -12 wRC+, a .143 OBP, and drew a walk in only 2.4% of his plate appearances.

With Austin Hedges also disappointing at the plate, the San Diego Padres decided to shake things up, shipping Hedges to Cleveland and bringing in Austin Nola and Jason Castro for their playoff run. Castro is now a free agent, but Nola is under team control for a few more years and settled in nicely in San Diego, making him the frontrunner for Opening Day starter in 2021.

The Padres have also recently expressed interest in veteran backstop Yadier Molina, signaling the fact that they are in the market for another catcher to split time with Nola. Top catching prospect Luis Campusano should be in competition for a major league roster spot next season and is a likely long-term option for the Padres, but his recent arrest may throw a wrench in those plans.

So, where does Francisco Mejia fit in these plans? It’s a little murky.

Despite his struggles at the plate in 2020, it’s hard to take anything away from the COVID-shortened season. His 2019 flashes at the plate and track record of success coming up through the minor leagues, along with the fact that he’s still only 25 years old, point to the possibility of Mejia still being able to turn things around and carve out his niche at the major league level.

While there have been minimal improvements behind the plate, there’s still a way for Mejia to go before the Padres can give him full-time duties, but the positional flexibility he brings to the table is a plus.

Before being traded to San Deigo, Mejia began working out as an outfielder, a position he continued to work at since joining the Padres. With Jurickson Profar now a free agent and Tommy Pham being looked at as a possible non-tender candidate, Mejia may be counted on to spend some time out in left field next season.

There are still questions about which direction San Diego will go with their catchers, but Francisco Mejia is still young with a noteworthy pedigree. If there isn’t a place for him in San Diego, the Padres have themselves a potentially valuable trade piece as they search for starting pitching help.

Leave it up to AJ Preller to bring in another high-profile pitcher while continuing to keep all of his top prospects in the system.

The future may be murky for Francisco Mejia, but there’s still reason for optimism when it comes to the San Diego Padres catcher.