In all seriousness, the last thing I want to do is to write about Jenrry Mejia again. It’s going to be an exciting year for the Mets, and there are so many great and positive things to write about and discuss. 

However, he called a press conference, and WOW, do we need to address his allegations. 

First, Mejia alleged that baseball threaten him with a third suspension if he didn’t name names. Essentially, Mejia is asserting that the way MLB handles its steroid policy is nothing short of how the McCarthy hearings transpired.  For not naming names, Mejia alleges he was suspended a third time even though he was not using a banned substance at the time of the last suspension.

Now, Mejia only admitted to being guilty the first time, which he chalked up to an accident. He said the subsequent tests were no accurate. When pressed on whether MLB was issuing false positives, Mejia’s attorney said the information is confidential. Despite the confidentiality asserted here, it did not prevent Mejia from making that assertion. 

Second, Mejia has alleged that MLB has hacked into player’s social media accounts. Following the Cardinals’ hacking scandal this is no small allegation. Mejia is not only asserting baseball has infringed upon his rights, he is also accusing baseball of criminal behavior. If true, this is a scandal that could rock baseball. If false, these allegations are nothing short of defamation. 

Of less surprising news, Mejia says he is innocent, and he will appeal the suspension through the Player’s Union. As such, no court case as of right now. As we’ve seen in past cases, these appeals happen behind closed doors, which is a shame. With all that Mejia is claiming, I’d love to see this on live TV. 

This press conference has raised many issues regarding how MLB handles people who test positive for PEDs. If MLB is willing to bargain with a tainted player for information, it puts the legitimacy of the policy and what’s on the field in question. Conversely, if MLB is creating false positives and hacking into player’s social media accounts, it shows the great lengths baseball will go to in order to catch PED users. At this point, this all seems a little far fetched . . . at least I hope it is. 

The Mejia drama has taken some strange twists and turns thus far, and by the looks of it, the drama is not going away any time soon. 

Editor’s Note: this was first published on metsmerizedonline.com

Jenrry Mejia three his entire career away for his continued use of PEDs. At the age of 26, his career is over. It really makes no sense whatsoever.  

In an earlier MMO article, different avenues were examined as to the reason why Mejia tested for PED use a third time despite his professed innocence. As part of the analysis, there was the mention of a Latino Sports article wherein Mejia claims he was being that no one was helping him. He said the player’s union abandoned him. He was told that if he appealed the second positive test baseball would suspend him a third time thereby giving Mejia a lifetime suspension. 

Mejia has now double-downed on those claims in an exclusive interview with Ben Berkon of the New York Times:

Mejia said that baseball officials told him that if he appealed the punishment for the second doping offense, “they will find a way to find a third positive,” Mejia said through an interpreter. “I felt there was a conspiracy against me. I felt that they were trying to find something to bring me down in my career.”

Naturally, MLB denies these claims. 

As for Mejia, who never appealed any of his three steroid suspensions, he will tell anyone who is listening that no one was there to help him save his career:

The association should have done more, Mejia said, adding that he thought the union “should have been there to defend me – because that’s what they’re there for. They should have found something to appeal for.”

It’s interesting that Mejia would continue to profess his innocence while doing nothing to clear his name or toss aside the lifetime suspension.  In the NFL, Tom Brady destroyed evidence and took the NFL to court over four games.  For his part, Mejia will cry to anyone who will listen. 

Overall, while it’s hard to fathom how anyone could have three positive PED tests so close in time, it’s getting harder to fathom how Mejia is the victim of some elaborate conspiracy theory. As more and more times passes, Mejia has substituted actions for words. 

Just like Mel Gibson, Flores is certain there’s a Conspiracy Theory. Sooner or later, he’s going to have to settle which one he’s sticking with. Hopefully, like Mel Gibson in the movie, Mejia just disappears forever. 

Major League Baseball and the Players’ Association should be commended for creating the best steroid testing policy and penalty system in all of professional sports. With the Collective Bargaining Agreement expiring after this season, it’s time to reevaluate the steroid policy and make some changes. 

After seeing the saga of Jenrry Mejia, I believe there is some room for improvement. 

The first issue is that Mejia came back at all in 2015. While Mejia was serving his first suspension, he again tested positive. Mejia got to pitch in seven games before the second suspension was finally levied. At this time, the Mets and Nationals were separated by two games and were about to head into the All Star break. Mejia had an impact on a pennant race even though he tested positive for steroids. Overall, there was no reason why he should’ve played. 

Baseball should implement a rule that a player cannot return from a steroid suspension unless they pass a steroid test. 

Now, in the case of Mejia, he never would’ve pitched in 2015. That would’ve been a good thing. It would’ve prevented a steroid user from having any impact upon a pennant race.  

Keep in mind, this is a slight tweak of the current testing policy. Under the current policy, a player who tests positive is subjected to increased testing over the course of the year. However, it calls for increased random testing, not time specific testing.  Rather than do completely random testing, there should be a blood and urine test right before the players is scheduled to return. When and only when the player passes that test, the player can then return.

The next issue to be addressed is what to do with these players if they test positive on their reinstatement test. Under the current policy, these players would receive an additional suspension. As we saw with Mejia, he pitched all of seven games in the 2015 season before his career was done.  

Research seems to indicate that anabolic steroids, like the ones taken by Mejia, are addictive in nature. An abuser of anabolic steroids can experience depression, and worse, may become suicidal.  Now, I can’t tell you Mejia is depressed or suicidal. What we can see however is that Mejia showed signs of addictive behavior. Mejia continued to use steroids even though it was to his detriment. 

Now, if Mejia had been caught using cocaine or another “drug of abuse,” Mejia would’ve been placed in a treatment program. However, because Mejia used steroids instead of heroin, the treatment program was not an option, at least as the drug policy is currently written. It’s very well possible Mejia needed help, and it was not available to him. 

Don’t misunderstand me. Mejia is a cheater. He deserved his first suspension. No one ever forced him to take Stanozol. However, if he truly became addicted to steroids, there should be measures in place the help Mejia rather than just throw him out of baseball. Therefore, the penalties for steroid use should be changed to address this issue. 

For the first offense, a player should still be suspended for 80 games. However, I believe that should become a minimum suspension. If a player cannot pass the aforementioned reinstatement steroid test, the treatment program provisions of the “drugs of abuse” should come into effect. The 80 game suspension should then become an indefinite suspension.  It should not trigger the 162 game penalty at that time. 

Under this new plan, a player who tests positive the first time could effectively be suspended longer than 80 games, 162 games, or possibly more. It really is up to the player. If a player is addicted, and needs help, the avenues should be there for them. If the player continues to test positive, and refuses to accept treatment, the “drug of abuse” treatment providions should apply:

1. First failure to comply: 15-25 game suspension;
2. Second failure to comply: 25-50 game suspension;
3. Third failure to comply: 50-75 game suspension; and
4. Fourth failure to comply: one year suspension and whatever additional penalties the Commissioner sees fit. 

Essentially, the goal should be to get the addicted players the help they need. If they fail to comply, the refusal to seek treatment penalties should apply instead of the 162 game penalty. Once the player has completed their program and can pass a reinstatement test, they should then be allowed to return to baseball. 

If, after all of that, a player tests positive a second time, that player should receive the 162 game suspension. After a second suspension, the player should automatically be enrolled in a treatment program. After the 162 game suspension, the player should again be subjected to a reinstatement test. Additionally, that player should not be reinstated until they pass that test. 

If a player fails a third test after all of this, that player should then receive the lifetime suspension. 

Right now, there is a 26 year old reliever who may have a substance abuse issue. It was his fault for starting in the first place.  With that said, baseball failed to put steps in place that could have helped him. The second and third suspensions might have been prevented. If he used cocaine like Josh Hamilton, he would still be in baseball. 

Mejia cheated and deserved his suspension. After that, he was penalized because he was addicted to steroids instead of cocaine. It’s time baseball got steroid users the help they may need.