Remember earlier this season when fans were wondering who the Mets closer would be as the season progressed? The team started the season with Jenrry Mejia as the closer, Jeurys Familia as the setup man, and Bobby Parnell was bound to come off the disabled list. However, Major League Baseball suspended Mejia for testing positive for using a performance-enhancing drug, Stanozolol, enabling Familia to become the closer. Familia has done a great job as the closer, but what should the Mets do with Mejia when he returns?
When the suspension was given, General Manager Sandy Alderson had some strong words in regards to Mejia’s position when he could return, as he told the New York Daily News, “I hope our bullpen is pitching so well there is not a spot for him. I hope he is not a factor.” This statement was made in April, and it seems Alderson had no interest in using Mejia for the remainder of the season.
Recently, Justin Tasch of the New York Daily News quoted Terry Collins as saying, “when he (Mejia) comes back, he’ll certainly be at the back end of that bullpen and ready to help out.” Is this a situation where Alderson and Collins have a disagreement about how to handle the roster?
It makes sense for Alderson not wanting to use Mejia throughout the regular season because it can hurt the team in the long run. Due to the new Joint Drug Agreement, Mejia will not be eligible to pitch in the playoffs because of the suspension, but that is if the Mets make the playoffs. If Collins used Mejia in the regular season, the Mets would need to replace the production in the postseason. The assigned roles of the relievers in the bullpen would definitely be changed, as the team would be searching for an eighth-inning setup man.
A potential solution is that the playoffs starting rotation consists of four starters, so the fifth starter could become the late-inning reliever if needed.
Collins’ desire to use Mejia makes sense too, because the addition would help the bullpen, and provides the Mets with a better chance of making the playoffs. Plus, the Mets have a 2016 club option on Collins managing the team moving forward, so there is pressure on the manager to lead the team towards success this season.
It is obvious that the Mets are in need of talent if they are going to make a postseason push. The trade market seems quiet, as it is unlikely that Alderson will trade Steven Matz or Noah Syndergaard to get back a valuable player in return. Jon Niese could be moved, but it seems that the Mets value their southpaw more than other teams do.
With all the injuries that have taken place, Mejia’s presence should be welcomed in the bullpen, as it will help ease Familia’s workload, and it would help other relief pitchers, as their workloads would decrease. It will be interesting to see what Alderson decides to do when Mejia is eligible to return for July 7th.
Put him in the bullpen? Is this a trick question?
I think Alderson was saying he hopes everybody else steps up to the point where the team didn’t desperately need Mejia upon his return. As the bullpen is one Familia away from being pretty gastly, IMO we still need him. Put him in as the set-up man, and deal with the consequences if we can even sniff the playoffs later in the season. Right now those chances look like crap.
Good point Patrick, never thought of Alderson’s statement as a motivational tactic, but it could be true. It worked for a little while, but now we are seeing that the Mets need one or two more shutdown pitchers in the pen to help Familia out.
Slightly off topic, but I don’t see this addressed anywhere on this site or on some of the others that I follow. The Braves just gave up a light-hitting 3 year vet infielder, Philip Gosselin (70 career games, 175 AB, 282/321/345. And what did they receive? Bronson Arroyo, a vet and positive addition to any staff (7-4 this year, era at 4, WHIP at 1.29) AND 19 year old pitching prospect, Touki Toussaint. He was rated #114 by Fangraphs. For benchmarking, Dilson Herrera was rated #109. Rafael Montero was rated between 143 and 200. So that’s the trade market. If the Mets were to give up Niese AND Herrera (or Montero), the best they would have gotten was someone like Gosselin, who would be of zero value to the team.
So as much as we all complain that Sandy needs to do something/anything, this kind of market is not compelling whatsoever. Any other thoughts on this?
It’s an interesting point you bring up Aging Bull. However, the reason the Braves got Arroyo for so little is because of Arroyo’s contract. He’s making $9.5 million this year (granted the Diamondbacks did pay some of that), but he also has an $11 million team-option next season with a $4.5 million buyout.
There are players like this on the market, but the Mets do not want to add money to the roster (or so it seems). Therefore it seems unlikely that the Mets will create a package and take on a huge contract in order to get a valuable veteran.
Isn’t Parnell a FA after this season? If Parnell pitches well then you can use the bullpen the same way the Royals did last year. Mejia,Parnell and Familia. If the Met’s are not in any race you can package Parnell with Murphy and Colon to a contender (Detroit?)
Yes, Parnell is a pending FA.
In an ideal world, Mejia is packaged for a big hitter. In the Mets’ world, he’s used as a set-up man, where he’ll still provide value.
One encouraging thing today was how Carlos Torres looked. It would be nice if he could give many more outing like today the rest of the year.
Can’t understand so many wanting to trade Murphy. We need hitting, no? He was 2nd in hits in 2013, 1st last year til hurt, is 3rd best at not striking out, and is hitting above .280. Why would we want to move him, to get who? Carlos Gomez? He’s hitting .275 with 5 hrs and 5 SB’s in 8 attempts, and is represented by Boras. No thanks. DW may never come back. Sign Murph. He’s the only reliable bat we have.
The big hitter being? Braun? Tulo? Or…
I’ve been stumping for Tulo for awhile now but Braun would be good, too. Move Granny to CF and DL Lagares.
Of course, either of these guys assumes that the owners have the capability of adding a big salary, which may or may not be true…
Between Murphy and Colon that’s 20 million coming off the books next season. Add Parnell and Gee and that’s another 9 million. I guess the big question will be Wright’s health. If he’s out then move Flores to third base where his lack of range wont hurt the Met’s defense.
Mejia becomes a free agent in 2019. Familia and Mejia are a nice 1-2 punch at the end of the game. Both have had success. He would be a good set up man.
If I could get Tulo for Syndergaard, Montero, and Mejia I would do it in a second. The Rockies can’t get lure free agent pitchers and in one swoop they would have three controllable pitchers.
The Mets need a game changer in the middle of their order. Too many well pitched games have been wasted for lack of offense. If Mejia is included in a package that brings in a game changer then he should be traded.
The fact that Mejia can’t pitch in the post season should have no effect on his status. The way the Mets are trending indicates that it is a non issue anyway.
Tulo is owed a minimum of 98M$ for his ages 31-36 seasons. He has been hurt plenty over the years. I simply cannot understand what would make SA spend 100 mill on a hurt aging veteran whose best days have been played, but for whom we will foot nearly all the bill. Wasn’t Granny enough of that?
If we were going to talk with CO, I’d do the same trade for Nolan Arenado and move Wright to left field, giving us Wright, Lagares, and Conforto left to right. Granny is platooned with Wright. Nimmo, if he has the chops to be a big leaguer, is the 5th OF. And I’d add in Murphy as well as the times t get him signed as a FA. I’m sure Denver would help his offense and make his forgettable defense, well, forgettable. I’d also look for another infielder from them.
I like the DW to the OF, assuming he comes back. Not ready to give up on Murphy. Look at what he’s doing vs Cuddyer. He’s one of the best hitters in baseball. He ranked 13th last year in the NL BA. And was 6th or so, til he got hurt. He batted higher than Rendon and Yelich. And he’s 3rd lowest in K’s per AB, behind only Aoki and Andrelton Simmons. Not sure what people want from a hitter.
I i had the time and inclination I’d link to a clip of Jim Mora increduloulsy shouting “Playoffs?! Playoffs?!”