First off, I should start by saying I find PEDs to be a blight on the game. I also don’t want those type of players on the Mets. With that said, I don’t run a team. 

When you run a team, you only have one job, and that is to put together the best team possible. For starters, this means acquiring the best players you can and keeping them on the team for as long as possible. It also means protecting your assets. This includes players who have two steroids suspensions. 

Take the suspensions and PEDs out of it for a second. Jenrry Mejia is a good relief pitcher. In 2014, after struggling as a starter, Mejia became the Mets closer. Mejia recorded 28 saves with a 2.72 ERA in 56 games. He struck out 9.6 per nine. In limited time last year, he had seven appearances allowing no earned runs in 7.1 innings. 

In addition, Mejia is very affordable. His salary was $2.595 million last year. It’s not anticipated that he will receive a raise next year. This is where the steroid suspension comes into consideration:

Was off by one game yesterday: Jenrry Mejia officially has served 63 games of suspension. So he has 99 games remaining.

— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinMedia) December 1, 2015

Mejia is gone for 99 games. At $2.6 million, Mejia will make approximately $16,000 per game. The Mets don’t have to pay him while he’s suspended meaning Mejia will lose $1.58 million in salary. Put another way, if Mejia doesn’t get suspended again, the Mets will only owe him about $1.0 million for 63 games. 

If Mejia is good, he will help in the bullpen. If he’s not, the Mets could easily cut him. If he’s caught using steroids again, he’s gone from the game forever. The risk is all on Mejia, not the Mets. With that in mind, the Mets should bring him back no matter how much I don’t want to see him on the Mets next year. For what it’s worth, apparently the Mets seem to be coming around and will tender him a contract. 

I don’t like him being a Met, but I also didn’t like Bartolo Colon on the team either. However, the Mets brought him aboard because they thought he could help the team.  If that’s their thinking, they need to tender Mejia a contract. 

I believe this even though I wish he was gone from the team.