The Mets have had to deal with a slew of adversity over the course of this season. Some of these events have been out of their control such as the preseason loss of Zach Wheeler and potential season ending injury to David Wright. Those two entities, the rotation and lineup, have been hit with less lengthy casualties for various parts of 2015. With all that being said, New York is still just a measly one game behind Washington in the division. They keep being dealt blow after blow after blow. The latest one though brings up thoughts of shame rather than pity for the second citizens of the city that never sleeps. Jenrry Mejia, a man who saved 28 games for the club a year ago, has been suspended yet again for PED use. After serving an 80 game bid that ended July 7th, Mejia will miss the next 162 for the Mets. Does this spell the end of Mejia’s tenure in the blue and orange?
As is the case in the majority of drug related suspensions, the Mets were given an advanced notice of the impending sanctions about to be leveled on Mejia. They attempted to counteract the subtraction of their former closer with the addition of set-up man du jour Tyler Clippard from the Athletics. Clippard had been closing for the Athletics, but he is more than adept at filling in from the seventh inning on. He’ll be a suitable short term replacement for Mejia who hadn’t given up a run in his seven games since his last suspension ended. Clippard is a free agent at season’s end, but the Mets may be inclined to try to bring him back given Mejia’s current state of affairs.
But does this latest mishap mean that Mejia is done with the Mets? The second PED suspension usually means curtains for a player not only with his team, but with baseball altogether. The things that differentiates Mejia from those gentlemen, Manny Ramirez, Neifi Perez, Guillermo Mota, and Eliezer Alfonzo, is age. Those men were in the twilight of their careers while Mejia is just 25. However, the stigma of being a repeat offender along with the now 162 game sentence may force the Mets to overlook that fact.
They should at least. They’ve had egg on their face many times before with the Bernie Madoff scandal. New York has even had their own bit of steroid hoopla with former clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski in 2007. Giving Mejia a third chance would just be another sign that the Mets just don’t get it. Mejia got popped for the same thing he did in spring (stanozolol), after proclaiming his innocence with the famous “I don’t know how it got in there!” defense. The Mets have a year to sit on this decision but cutting ties sooner rather than later would be extremely prudent.
The Amazins are stacked in the pitching department both in the Major and Minor Leagues. Bobby Parnell, Jeurys Familia, and Clippard are all battle tested in the late innings. What other praise needs to be heaped on the crop of young starters in tow and in waiting? They can afford to dispose of Mejia now more than ever. If he finds a chance at redemption somewhere else, so be it. They’ll benefit in the long run by showing that they aren’t willing to tolerate players who can’t play by the rules. If they don’t, it will probably just end up being another case of “Typical Mets.”