WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Mickey Callaway isn’t dead set against his pitchers having a personal catcher, but he sees no reason why his ace needs one.
“There have been certain guys in the past that have had their own catcher and it’s worked out,’’ the Mets manager said Thursday. “Greg Maddux had a guy he threw to, but I just don’t see that situation here with the personnel and who we’ve got.’’
“Who they’ve got” is Wilson Ramos, signed in the offseason to be the regular backstop. And he made it clear after he caught deGrom’s three-inning outing in a 6-4 loss to Washington at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches that he intends to catch plenty more of the right-hander’s starts.
“He’s No. 1 in the rotation and I’m the everyday catcher,’’ Ramos said. “A good relationship is important for us. I want him to want me behind the plate every day.’’
The pair is making progress in that direction, despite deGrom allowing two runs while striking out four against Washington.
“We’re still working on things,’’ deGrom said. “It’s a learning process. … He’s new and has to get used to what we like to do. He’s done a good job asking us what we want to do.”
But it’s days like Thursday that are even more valuable.
“Just to get in game situations and see my game plan and my approach,’’ deGrom said. “The best way to do it is to get game experience. I think we’d be fine to go into the [regular] season right now.’’
Devin Mesoraco arrived from Cincinnati last May in the deal that sent Matt Harvey to the Reds. Mesoraco immediately became a favorite of deGrom’s. In 21 starts with Mesoraco behind the plate, deGrom had a 1.60 ERA.
DeGrom pitched well regardless of who caught him en route to the NL Cy Young Award, but his ERA was 2.40 in eight outings pitching to Kevin Plawecki.
Callaway said he liked what he saw with deGrom and Ramos.
“It’s all about the tempo,’’ Callaway said of deGrom’s outing, which was marred only by a pair of first-inning walks and a homer in the third by Adam Eaton. “They did a good job picking up signs, picking up the target and letting it go.’’
In addition to Ramos and Mesoraco, Travis d’Arnaud could enter the mix, but Callaway acknowledged Mesoraco’s success catching deGrom last year would be “info we look at.”
“It would be silly to not take every bit of information and make it useful,’’ Callaway said. “But you’re not gonna just make a team because you catch one guy well. Mesoraco has a ton to offer other than catching Jacob deGrom well. He’s a leader, he prepares well. … If he makes the team, it’s gonna be because he deserves it, not just because of Jacob.”
Ramos doesn’t have to worry about making the team after signing for two years and $19 million.
Still, he didn’t come to the Mets to watch one of the game’s premier pitchers from the bench. And he doesn’t intend for that to happen.
“[Mesoraco] did a lot of prep work on us when he came over,’’ deGrom said of the catcher’s work ethic. “Wilson has done the same thing. He’s just getting used to us.’’
“We’re working really well together,’’ Ramos said. “Staying on the same page is very important. Every time he’s on the mound I pay attention to what he’s doing. … I already feel comfortable. I just need to know a little bit more about them.’’
They have three weeks from Thursday to get there.
