Position: RHP
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 222 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Born: 04/25/1992
Country: Mexico
Signed: International Free Agent, 2008 (Mets)
How Acquired: Minor League Free Agent
Bonus: N/A
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: Eligible
Minor League Free Agency: 2024
Options Left: N/A
Overview
Cessa originally signed with the Mets back in 2008 as an infielder. He didn’t hit and, after two years, the Mets moved him to the mound. He’s pitched mostly as a starter in the minors and as a reliever in the majors. He used to throw his fastball around 94-95 mph. More recently it’s been 92-94 and he’s increasingly thrown a sinker. He relies heavily on a slider and also throws a change. Cessa generally limits walks but doesn’t miss a lot of bats. He’s had gopher ball problems much of the time in the majors. Cessa was solid or better for the Yankees and Reds in 2019-21, but since 2022 he’s declined. For some reason, the Reds moved him back to starting in 2022-23 and that hasn’t gone well. He also served as a starter for the Royals in AAA in 2024, until they released him. He signed a minor league deal with the Pirates.
2009-14
Cessa played second and third for the Mets in the DSL in 2009-10, but struggled to hit. In 2011, the Mets moved him to the mound. He pitched well as a starter in short season ball in 2011-12, and in 2013 put up a 3.12 ERA in Low Class A, with just 1.3 walks per nine innings. He had more trouble in High A the following year, but managed an ERA of 4.00 in 20 starts and still walked only 2.1 per nine.
2015-18
In 2015, Cessa opened in AA and put up an ERA of 2.56 through 13 starts, which got him a promotion to AAA. He struggled through five starts there, then got included in a deadline deal with Detroit. He finished the season in AAA with the Tigers, although he didn’t pitch well there either. Detroit added Cessa to the 40-man roster after the season, then a month later traded him to the Yankees.
Cessa spent 2016-18 shuttling back and forth between New York and the minors, although he also missed about six weeks in 2018 due to a strained oblique. He pitched as a starter in the minors and a swing man in the majors. He put up mostly passable ERAs in the majors, usually with low walk and K rates. He had trouble with gopher balls, allowing 28 over 151 innings with the Yankees in the three seasons combined.
2019-21
Cessa spent all of 2019-21 in the majors, pitching strictly in relief. Those also turned out to be his best seasons. He had a 4.11 ERA in 43 games in 2019, then a 3.32 mark in 16 games in the pandemic season. In 2021, the Yankees traded him to Cincinnati at the deadline. Coincidentally, both of his Yankee trades also involved Justin Wilson, with him being traded for Wilson in 2015 and with him in 2021. Cessa posted a 2.82 ERA in 29 games with New York and 2.05 in 24 with the Reds, the latter with a WHIP of 0.99.
2022-24
In 2022, Cessa made 46 appearances with the Reds, including ten starts. His ERA increased to 4.57, some of it due to gopher balls; he allowed 14 in 80.1 IP. He started 2023 in the Reds’ rotation and it didn’t go well. After seven games he had an ERA of 9.00 and the Reds released him in May. He was subsequently signed as a minor league free agent, then released, by both Colorado and Washington. He struggled badly in AAA with both those teams.
After the 2023 season, the Royals signed Cessa to a minor league deal for 2024. He appeared in 11 games for them, ten starts, and continued to struggle, with a WHIP of 1.53. The Royals released him in June and the Pirates signed him to a minor league deal. He made 13 starts and two relief appearances for Indianapolis, with a 5.26 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and a low K/9 of 6.8.
Stats
Transactions
July 9, 2008: Signed as an international free agent by the New York Mets.
July 31, 2015: Traded by the New York Mets with Michael Fulmer to the Detroit Tigers for Yoenis Cespedes.
November 3, 2015: Contract purchased by the Detroit Tigers.
December 9, 2015: Traded by the Detroit Tigers with Chad Green to the New York Yankees for Justin Wilson.
July 28, 2021: Traded by the New York Yankees with Justin Wilson to the Cincinnati Reds for Jason Parker.
May 14, 2023: Released by the Cincinnati Reds.
May 23, 2023: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Colorado Rockies.
June 29, 2023: Released by the Colorado Rockies.
July 6, 2023: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Washington Nationals.
August 29, 2023: Released by the Washington Nationals.
November 18, 2023: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Kansas City Royals.
June 1, 2024: Released by the Kansas City Royals.
June 10, 2024: Signed as a minor league free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates.