Major League Baseball announced today that Mets reliever Jenrry Mejia will be reinstated for the 2019 season. He had previously been banned following a third positive PED test.
Mejia, who is now 28 years of age, last pitched in the majors in 2015. He has been on the restricted list since that time.
While the ban will not be lifted until next season, Mejia will be able to begin working out at Mets facilities after the All-Star break, per the announcement. He’ll also be eligible to take a rehab assignment this August and participate in Spring Training in 2019.
It comes as something of a surprise to see Mejia given a path back to playing, though of course he was never released by the organization precisely because it remained a possibility. Indeed, the Joint Drug Program allows banned players to seek reinstatement after two years away.
Mejia, though, seemingly burned some bridges by launching claims of a conspiracy that were vigorously contested by the league. In his comments today, released through the MLBPA, Mejia acknowledged “the false allegations [he] made about Major League Baseball’s investigation into my testing history.” He also offered apologies all around and specifically thanked Commissioner Rob Manfred for allowing him back into the game.
Ultimately, this represents great news for Mejia but also, potentially, a nice turn for the Mets. Though the righty has certainly caused some headaches in Queens over the years, he’s still youthful and has mostly been a quality MLB reliever — even serving as the organization’s closer at times in 2014.
That said, the upside for the New York organization is somewhat limited. The club said in a statement only that it will assess its options after seeing Mejia on the field. Though Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reported in 2016 that Mejia would continue earning service time while technically banned, Tim Britton of The Athletic tweets today that Mejia will be deemed to have four years and 140 days entering the winter. If the Mets choose to tender him a contract, they’ll presumably revert to his most recent salary ($1.729MM) and would possess control rights through 2020.
This is a questionable move in my opinion.
It’s a bold strategy cotton let’s see if it pays off.
Great Comment
You win comment of the day.
how can this possibly have down votes?
Ever heard of a troll? Probably the same 11 year old down voting every single comment, thinking “I’m going to be the next Trump…”
I’m gonna guess it was someone who didn’t like the movie “Dodgeball” .. you can chill out my friend , lol
Why the leniency? 3x being suspended for PED is enough ground for a permanent ban.
I obviously don’t know the details, but is anybody actually stupid enough to get caught using the same drug when they know they’ll have a lifetime ban? Maybe he is, but I also question how that’s possible.
“ . . . I also question how that’s possible.”
If we are asking interesting questions, Mr. Goat, one might also question how the player who was given the longest non-lifetime suspension—ARod, of course—did not fail a drug test during the relevant period. MLB obviously believed he was using or they wouldn’t have suspended him. Yet he didn’t fail a drug test. Sure doesn’t inspire confidence in the process when the greatest “cheater” of all time managed to pass his drug tests.
And yet David Ortiz, who was just as obvious, was not suspended despite being treated by the same doctor who was treating A Rod and caught with a trunk full of PEDs.
MLB’s line is quite blurred and constantly moving.
Really?:A-Roid’s detaled admission, including advice from Bosch on how to avoid detection during drug testing, isn’t good enough for you?
The quotes are unnecessary. He’s a douche & a cheater. Probably not the greatest big all time, because he got caught.
Ortiz was clean as a whistle. Arod. Not only lied on more than on occasion. He failed several drug test. Bud selig gave him and bonds who were both more obvious than any other player. Never got punished. A rod did. Rob Manfred should have grown a pair of balls and voided a rods contract too
I guess, no ones ever been banned for life for PED’s now………….so no
Its pretty obvious that MLB has something to hide in this about their drug testing or they would not be reinstating him at all.
“It’s pretty obvious that MLB has something to hide . . . or they would not be reinstating him at all.”
Nonsense. MLB currently has a three tier penalty for failed drug tests:
1. 80 game suspension for the first offense;
2. One year suspension for the second offense; and
3. Minimum two year suspension for the third offense.
(Believe the penalties were somewhat lighter when Mejia was “banned”.)
What is obvious is that MLB intended that players who receive a “lifetime” ban have the ability to clean up their act and eventually return to MLB. Mejia’s reinstatement does not in any way suggest that there was something wrong with MLB’s drug testing program. ARod’s suspension, on the other hand, appeared to undermine the credibility of the entire program.
no teeth in the MLB
Our 2019 closer?
So does this mean he is still on the Mets? He can pitch for the team in 2019?
yes, the Mets kept his rights by renewing him every year.
Way to show MLB that your rules on substance abuse obviously mean diddly squat
What
Don’t worry. A leopard can’t charge it’s spots. Especially when he is relying on external sources for his talent from such a young age. Mejia doesn’t know how to pitch at the highest level without help. He will do it again. He just thinks he is smarter than the system & won’t get caught this time.
Once a dog, always a dog…..he will be sleeping with fleas again in no time.
I guess the league figured pitching for the Mets was a worse punishment than a lifetime ban.
lol
finally some get Met news.
good*
March 16, 2019, Mejia banned a 4th time
I would love a pool in which we can all pick the date his next suspension is announced.
I’ll take May 2nd. He’ll fail a test during Spring Training, but the process will take about 6 weeks to play out.
Way to stick to your guns MLB
He may be the Mets lone representative at next year’s All Star Game.
I really would like to hear how this is possible. It sets a horrible example as they’ll all start to use the stuff to get their million dollar contacts and if they get caught, who cares, it’s only a few years vacation.
Just speculation but maybe he proved that he accidentally took it in a substance. I know Raul Mondesi has a suspension reduced because he showed them that a PED substance was found in a medicine he was prescribed.
Once you’re banned TWICE I think it’s time to start being a little more diligent about what’s in your prescriptions…
I definitely don’t disagree with that
Like they all aren’t already. Does MLB test for HgH?
probably better than the rest of the Mets bullpen right now.
That is a long lifetime ban.
I remember this guy’s flow
Is Pete Rose still banned? Cause if he is, I’d be pissed as hell for the MLB to pick and choose who gets their banned revoked. Especially after the court case with gambling and sports
I’ve said for years that Pete Rose needs to be reinstated. If you allow Mejia to be reinstated for being caught cheating 3 times just a few years ago, but continue the ban on Rose from over 30 years ago, I think it’s just ridiculous. MLB needs to lift the ban on Rose and allow him into the Hall.
It’s not gonna happen.
“Pete Rose needs to be reinstated.”
Why, he was guilty as hell. And then he continued to lie about it for twenty years. Rose has done nothing to deserve reinstatement and isn’t a sympathetic figure like Weaver or Jackson. Lotta other wrongs need to be righted before Rose gets any further attention.
“If you allow Mejia to be reinstated for being caught cheating 3 times . . . “
Mejia, or any other player, using PEDs does not threaten the integrity of the game. A hundred players using PEDs doesn’t threaten the integrity of the game. But a MLB manager who is simultaneously betting on games he manages directly threatens the integrity of the game.
MLB has determined what the appropriate penalties for PED use should be and those penalties have been enforced. The “lifetime” ban has included the right to apply for reinstatement after two years for some time, so this is nothing new. Just haven’t been many lifetime bans.
“MLB needs to lift the ban on Rose and allow him into the Hall.”
You realize those are two different actions. MLB lifting its lifetime ban would allow the HoF to consider Rose for enshrinement but it in no way guarantees that he would be voted in. Some folks will never forget that he violated baseball’s sacred rule.
Did you really just say that Mejia getting caught 3 tunes for using PEDs DOES NOT affect the integrity of the game? Dude you have got to be kidding me. You sir, need help.
“Did you really just say that Mejia getting caught 3 times for using PEDs DOES NOT affect the integrity of the game?”
Yes, I did. And you have offered nothing but attitude in response. Mejia was caught and suspended, caught and suspended and finally caught and banned. The player messed up but MLB did its part just fine. While it may be embarrassing for a player to fail three drug tests it says absolutely nothing about the integrity of the game. Manager Rose saving his best reliever for a game he has money on undermines confidence in the game itself in a way that a thousand PED violators couldn’t.
“You sir, need help.”
You need to learn how to argue a point without insulting your adversary. Particularly here as you have offered absolutely nothing in response but an insult. Wow, I’m convinced. There was just something so persuasive about the way you told me that I need help. In short: Go scratch.
Do…players cheating doesn’t affect the integrity of the game? ok
I could not agree more. I think Rose’s ban also has a lot to do with his character. He is a POS who gambled on games, then lied about it for years, and was also busted for tax evasion. I think a lot more happened behind the scenes that we don’t know about that makes every commissioner keep Rose’s ban in place. My stance on Rose is that MLB can lift its ban on him and writers can vote him into the Hall of Fame after he’s dead. I don’t think he should live to see himself enshrined in the HoF.
The irony is that PEDs have always been a part of MLB. Anyone who thinks players like Mantle, Mays, Aaron, and Schmidt played clean is naive. Amphetamines were rampant in clubhouses. Hank Aaron even admitted to taking amphetamines. Fact is, the HoF is already full of PED users. Hank Aaron admitted to taking amphetamines.
So no, PED usage doesn’t threaten the integrity of the game. The game has ALWAYS had PED users, and many of them are in the Hall of Fame, and some will be enshrined in the future. David Ortiz doped, and he admitted to failing a test, yet he’s a hero for many Red Sox fans, sure-fire first ballot HoFer. But I guess when you’ve helped break a curse, you can probably shoot PEDs in front of all of Fenway Park and get a pass.
“players cheating doesn’t affect the integrity of the game? ok”
Said this elsewhere in a comment which has disappeared into the ether, so….
Cheating to win in baseball is older than four balls and three strikes. It has always been an accepted practice even though transgressors have sometimes been punished. Doctored baseballs, rigged bats, high tech sign stealing, amphetamines, these and other practices have been tried, caught and sanctioned. Baseball survived just fine.
Same with the PED users. Most baseball fans understand that Bonds had artificial help and many still consider Henry Aaron the all-time HR king. And once again baseball survived just fine. I’m not sure how Jenrry Mejia being dopey enough to fail three drug tests says anything about MLB. But a MLB manager using his position to manage his bets rather than team wins undermines the whole system.
i hope you dont get to vote on the hof… rose should be in.
Not when every team has its cheaters, no.
Difference is, Pete Rose signed off being placed on the restricted list
Reinstatement doesn’t seem as odd as him accruing service time the last three seasons.
I like that Mejia accrued service time during his suspension. That seems like the only even indirect punishment teams suffer for employing PED violators, in this case as the mechanism that will negate the cost control that New York would have had if he came back with two more years of arbitration eligibility..
That caught me off guard too. I’m pretty sure you don’t get service time while on the restricted list, so I don’t know why he would.
I just read an old Forbes article about this.. There is some crazy logic behind this. It seems to be related to why Steve Howe wasn’t banned for being caught 7 times. In theory a lifetime band would forbid him from playing anywhere in the USA, if not the world, for the rest of his life and as such is unfair. I’m like, WTF, isn’t that the exact point of a lifetime ban? I still don’t understand this completely but really if you are stupid enough to keep getting caught over and over you really shouldn’t be allowed to play. Go be a drug dealer or whatever.
I suspect that MLB wants to avoid the appearance of players being denied their right to a livelihood on policy-related grounds in the eyes of the courts. Any pattern of such behavior could threaten the sport’s unique exemption from federal antitrust laws.
Bs
He knew the rules
He has money
Hot take, bro.
What a joke
You should unbanned joe Jackson and Pete Rose now if you’re going back on your punishment
Yup. The argument against rose keeps being that what he did apparently had a direct impact on the game since he was betting on his own team. Continued PED use could certainly affect the game too. This definitely sets the precedent that the league doesn’t actuslly care that much
Not a precedent as Steve Howe’s lifetime ban was lifted. George Nicolau stated “deterrence, however laudable an objective, should not be achieved at the expense of fairness.”
Marc Edelman adds; “that principle has since been at the heart of decisions by pro sports leagues’ outside, neutral arbitrators, across all sports”
As was Jenkins, which brings up a separate interesting point that they always overturn drug related suspensions. but this is the first under the new “harsh” PED rules, and definitely is setting a precedent under that
Who wanna bet he gets suspended for a fourth time?
Does this set a bad precedent? Does every player who gets a “lifetime” ban from now on, think they can pull a “Mejia”?
“Does this set a bad precedent? Does every player who gets a “lifetime” ban . . . think they can pull a “Mejia”?”
Uh, xabial. The right to apply for reinstatement after two years has been part of the process for some time. Mejia isn’t “pulling” anything, he is taking advantage of a contractual right which everyone knew he had. I knew when he was suspended that he’d be back. Can’t understand what everyone is getting so riled up about. Were there more “lifetime” bans folks would be more familiar with the process.
And I’m going to use this space to reply to Phantomofdb here as well.
“The argument against Rose keeps being that what he did apparently had a direct impact on the game since he was betting on his own team.”
The problem was that you could never know whether manager Rose was managing to win every game or saving his resources for games he bet big on.
“Continued PED use could certainly affect the game too.”
There is a distinction here and it isn’t a subtle one. PED users are cheating to win. Cheating to win in baseball is older than four balls and three strikes, older than catcher’s masks and fielder’s gloves, older than sixty feet, six inches. There hasn’t been a time in MLB when cheating to win wasn’t an accepted, if sometimes sanctioned, element of the game.
Babe Ruth was caught using an illegal bat. Gaylord Perry admitted throwing “doctored” baseballs. Mickey Mantle was injected with steroids several times. Whitey Ford admitted throwing scuffed baseballs and Yogi Berra admitted scuffing them for him. Dozens of other HoFers have admitted using amphetamines.
Cheating to win has not and does not threaten the integrity of the game. A MLB manager who might not be managing to win every game, just those he has money on would undermine confidence that the game is legit. One Rose caused far more damage to the game than all the PED users combined.
Betting on baseball did not cause Pete Rose to have 4256 hits. It is the Hall of Fame…..not the Hall of Morality. And do you know what MLB players do many times with their per diem received for away trips? That’s right….they gamble the money by playing cards, etc……
“Betting on baseball did not cause Pete Rose to have 4256 hits.”
Correct. Being very good at baseball plus sticking around until he was the least valuable player in the NL just to set a record got him all those hits. Rose stuck around until he was so useless that the only manager who would play him was himself. Not sure I understand your argument. Gambling has caused a number of things in Rose’s life, but hitting wasn’t one of them. And?
“It is the Hall of Fame…..not the Hall of Morality.”
Really, what about this part:
“5. Voting: Voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.”
You could make a decent argument that betting on baseball and then lying about betting on baseball for twenty years disqualifies Rose on the integrity and character issues. If not, consider his Wrestlemania appearances.
“And do you know what MLB players do . . . with their per diem received for away trips? That’s right….they gamble . . . “
Not sure why you are having difficulty understanding the difference between a group of players playing cards for money and a manager placing bets with bookies on his own team. Players have routinely bet on horses and jai lai and visited casinos. None of that effects the perception of the game on the field. A manager who may be managing for his bets rather than his team is very different as it calls into question whether the game itself is on the level.
Don’t worry he’ll pull a hamstring as soon as he puts on a Mets uniform.
Well, Steve Howe was banned for life like 5 times. Jennry has a long way to go to break the record.
Seven times.
Steve Howe was given a lifetime ban from baseball only once, and he successfully appealed that ban. Yes, he was suspended 7 times but he was only handed a lifetime ban once
And he played again after that.
Rose will be reinstated and put into the Hall…After he dies
Absurd. Like MLB is endorsing cheating. I mean again.
Almost everyone that has been banned for “life” in MLB has eventually been reinstated. Anyone old enough to remember when Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle were banned for life for signing autographs at a casino?
Maybe he’s been reborn and is therefore starting a new life??
My prediction is the dude gets popped for a 4th time at the start of next season. I mean c’mon if your stupid enough to do it a second… and third time… what’s stopping him from going all out and trying it one last time. 4th times the charm right?
and yet Pete Rose is still persona non grata and players such as McGwire are allowed to have jobs with teams…facepalm-o-matic
Ugh.
Manfred is a joke and should never have been picked as commissioner!
Guys this is great, can’t wait to see more moonwalks off the mound
What happens when we fails a 4th drug test? Is he gonna be banned from Korea and japan and Mexican league baseball on top of mlb again. Lifetime ban should mean exactly that. Why are they reinstating him at all he had his chances. He blew it.