New York Mets Rumors: Jenrry Mejia To Be Tendered A Contract?

New York Mets Rumors: Despite getting suspended twice last season, will Jenrry Mejia be tendered a contract from the Mets?

The New York Mets were able to make the 2015 World Series without their opening day closer Jenrry Mejia. Mejia was suspended after the first game of the season for testing positive for a banned substance. He received a 50-game suspension for that, but only last three weeks with the team before he was popped again and handed a 162-game suspension.

Getting suspended twice would normally make you a player the team wants nothing to do with, but that does not seem to be the case with the Mets. According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, the Mets still plan on having Mejia has a part of the organization and team for the 2016 season.

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Mejia earned only a prorated portion of the $2.595 million he was set to earn in 2015, getting paid only when he was active on the roster; he was not paid while on suspension. If the Mets tender him a contract, it will guaranteed him at least 80 percent of that number in 2016 as the rule states for arbitration eligible players such as Mejia.

No matter what Mejia earns through a tendered contract or through an arbitration case, he will not be earning anywhere near that total. Because he was suspended 162 games, he served only 63 of them last season so he has 99 left. He will get paid the prorated amount in 2016 once again, which means the Mets would be on the hook for only 38.9 percent of his contract the upcoming season. So, even if he was given the same salary in 2016 as he received in 2015, the Mets would owe Mejia around $1 million.

That seems to be a number the Mets are more than comfortable with. He has shown an ability to be a strong performer at the end of games out of the bullpen for the Mets, something they lacked last season. That is probably the sole reason they would want him back despite his transgressions; he can perform at a high level and will be getting paid minimally for it.

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From that standpoint, it makes sense for the Mets to bring Mejia back. But this could make for an awkward situation between him and his teammates. It would be hard to imagine him being accepted in a locker room of players that he let down not only once, but twice last season by getting suspended and not being eligible for the postseason.

How can you trust a player that has already let you down twice? It is tough to have respect for a player that put himself ahead of the team to get a suspension once, but to do it twice it is hard to imagine him being welcomed back with open arms. No matter the potential Mejia may have, Mejia will have an uphill climb to gain the respect after putting the team in the position that he did last season.

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That is something we may be able to see sometime in July 2016, as that is when Mejia is eligible to return from suspension and be allowed to play with the Mets once again. It will be tough to watch at that time when a player is taken off the roster to make room for someone as disappointing as Mejia has been.