Jenrry Mejia’s Age Questioned by Dominican Authorities
Where in the world is Jenrry Mejia? He’s stuck in the Dominican Republic, detained by authorities as they review his identity.
According to Sandy Alderson and a random, unnamed MLB source, the detainment is likely random. In other words, it’s believed that Mejia is not necessarily suspected of fraud, but rather the lucky recipient of a random review.
Does his age matter that much? Probably from the perspective of his perceived value in a trade. Otherwise, it’s not THAT big of a deal if it turns out he’s 25 or 26 instead of 23. Mejia’s biggest obstacle to becoming a successful big leaguer is his mechanics, and if a pitcher doesn’t make adjustments to his delivery by age 23, even after a flaw leads to major surgery, then it’s unlikely he’ll ever make the necessary changes. When a kid is in his late teens or just into his early twenties, it’s slightly easier to make adjustments and erase bad habits. But every year that bad habits continue to be ingrained makes it that much more difficult to fix them.
After returning from Tommy John surgery and rehab, Mejia displayed the exact same pitching motion he had prior to his elbow and shoulder injuries. That motion includes inefficient moving parts that are both dangerous to his health and makes consistency a challenge. He might have good days — some very good days — but they’ll be mixed with bad days. If Mejia remains a starter, I envision him being an eternal enigma, not unlike Jorge Sosa or — dare I say — Oliver Perez.
But this is only my opinion, and I could be completely wrong. Mejia may very well turn out to be the next Felix Hernandez. So rather than ponder Mejia’s future, let’s focus on how this snafu with the consulate is affecting his “right now.”
The reason pitchers show up earlier than everyone else is because it theoretically takes them longer to get into shape. Mejia is missing the first few days, and it appears as though he’ll miss at least the first week — if not the first two weeks before it’s all said and done. Two weeks is a major setback for someone attempting to make the Opening Day starting rotation, and I have to wonder if the Mets will stick to the plan of Mejia starting, or consider him as a bullpen candidate.
Even though I have a pessimistic view of Mejia’s future, I hope the Mets keep Mejia on a starting pitcher’s routine, and have him begin the season in AAA. Sound hypocritical? Maybe it is. But I’d like to see my hypothesis proved wrong, rather than taken as gospel, because ultimately, a starting pitcher — even a mediocre one — is far more valuable than a reliever. For the same reasons I never understood why the Mets refused to return Aaron Heilman to a starting role, I hope Mejia is given at least one full year to prove he can start — or suggest that his career will be coming out of the bullpen.
What’s your thought? If Mejia gets to camp too late to be a starter by April, should he be moved to a bullpen track so he can help the big-league club right away — especially now that the rotation appears full? Or should the Mets let him continue as a starter, even if it means beginning the year in AAA? In which role do you think he can more quickly develop value — perhaps to the point where he is a coveted trading chip?
About the Author
Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.
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Agreed. Give Mejia a spot in the Vegas rotation and let him go every 5 days until he hits an innings limit. Let him be in line for a Flushing promotion based on performance.
Second, I think Dan B. only expressed half the story. Yes, the Mets have been less than adequate in developing minor leaguers. More to the point, though, is that they haven’t assembled a team worth watching at the AAA level since the 2005 Norfolk Tides. In 2006, after a 38-year relationship between the Mets and the Tides, the Tides chose to cut ties, citing, among other things, that the Mets “took them for granted.” How so? No Mets executive made a single trip to Norfolk in ’06 — a season in which the Tides finished second to last, with a 57-84 records. At the same time, a new ownership group took over the Tides — one that had strong ties to the Orioles.
After Norfolk, the Mets went to New Orleans, making big donations toward Hurricane Katrina charities. But the Mets didn’t want to be down there, and bolted for Buffalo immediately when their two-year contract ended. In Buffalo, the Mets made big promises and follow through on few. What the Mets didn’t understand was that the Bisons cared about winning, and expected their parent MLB team to stock the club with quality players. Instead, the Mets filled the Buffalo roster with crap, so the team stunk, and attendance dropped significantly. With the two-year contract nearly up, the Blue Jays — they of the really strong farm system filled with quality players, and a history of fielding competitive AAA teams — made overtures that Buffalo couldn’t resist.
That’s what it comes down to — minor league teams, like everyone else, need to make money. If a team doesn’t win, they don’t draw fans, and can’t make money. The Mets have a reputation of disrespecting their AAA affiliates and not stocking their AAA team with quality players. I bet they will be looking for another AAA club again two years from now, when their agreement with Las Vegas is up.
the next Felix Hernandez? really? if only the mets were to be so lucky. I dont see the connection between a pitcher who has thrown 1620 innings since he was 19 and an over rated mets prospect. A pitcher who has been in the cy young race numerous times and another, who has provided nothing to the mets. I hate to say it but im seeing a lastings milledge future for jenrry
I wanted Upton badly. But, I thought Flores and Syndergaard should be enough, but Wheeler would be ok too since they have lots of pitching. Trading an unknown for a known is usually a no brainer. Also, I was surprised at Towers wanting to just unload him before his vacation started and not bothering to return many phone calls. Nice job Kevin.
Last thought: Why is Flores not playing RF full time? He doesn’t have a position anyways. We have infielders. We hear about his foot speed, but Francouer is real slow, but he can catch a fly ball; so was Paul O’Neill; so is Cuddyer; and others. If Flores was a shortstop, he can become an outfielder. He will not be the first.
Mets fans aren’t the only ones who think d’A has a promising future. Ditto Wheeler. They don’t think “good future” means “Nolan Ryan.” I, e.g., would mean that he has a reasonable shot at being a top of the rotation starter with a future. I don’t know who this person as to Duda is either. Some fans are hopeful, some too hopeful in the minds of some, but few are that caricature.
You adjust your tone to be sarcastic. Whatever keeps you going, you know?
After he deals with his existential difficulties, he should go to the minors and be used the best way that his talent warrants. Meanwhile, the Mets have five starters & a bunch of relievers who can be tested out to see who will stick.
As to Wheeler, the argument is not that he is a young pitcher who has displayed great talent – it’s whether he will ever translate that into MLB stardom. Many Mets fans are convinced Wheeler (and Harvey) will save the franchise.
Regarding Duda, hang around the comments sections of some of the popular Mets blogs.