New York Mets Rumors: Will Jenrry Mejia Be Replaced?
New York Mets Rumors: With Jenrry Mejia facing a lifetime ban, are the Mets looking to add another bullpen arm to take his place?
The New York Mets have done well in the past year to upgrade their bullpen situation. They retained the right players from last season’s team in Addison Reed and Jerry Blevins, while also adding left-handed pitcher Antonio Bastardo in free agency from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Younger players such as Hansel Robles and Sean Gilmartin also got good experience, and should help out in 2016.
One player who will not be helping out in 2016, or any time soon, is Jenrry Mejia. It was announced Mejia failed a third PED test over the weekend, which results in a lifetime ban from baseball. It is the third time that Mejia tested positive in less than a year, as his first positive test came about in April, and then his second was weeks after his return in July.
The Mets were hoping to add Mejia to their bullpen in late July when his suspension was up. It was a move some people were skeptical of, but it made sense for the Mets. Mejia would receive a pro-rated portion of his 2016 salary, so it wasn’t too big of an investment financially. Also, it was not too long ago that Mejia was the team’s closer, so there is some talent there the Mets could have used.
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Unfortunately, Mejia failed another test and his baseball future is now extremely bleak with the Mets or any team in the major leagues. With Mejia now out of the picture, could the Mets look to add another bullpen arm because Mejia will not be coming back in July as they originally expected?
According to ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin, do not expect the Mets to add another reliever to the major league roster right now. If bullpen help is determined to be needed, general manager Sandy Alderson says that a trade near the end of Spring Training is more likely.
Sandy Alderson says #Mets don't plan to give any more MLB contracts, and if need relief help, trade at end of spring training most likely.
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinMedia) February 17, 2016
One of the reasons the Mets may not be aggressively pursuing options to replace Mejia is because they could have one coming their way as soon as May 1st. That is when left-handed reliever Josh Edgin is expected to make his return from Tommy John Surgery. Like Zack Wheeler, Edgin underwent Tommy John after getting injured last spring, and is making his return this season.
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Knowing that Edgin is not far from returning, the Mets are most likely going to wait it out to add another reliever. They already have seven pitchers projected in their bullpen currently, so adding another one before seeing how Edgin responds to surgery makes little sense. Expect the Mets to hold tight with the group they currently have unless and injury occurs during Spring Training.