12
2011
Jenrry Mejia: Is His Future In The Bullpen?
An article by 
Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen worries me sometimes. I understand that he was spared a trip to the guillotine thanks to the efforts of R.A. Dickey and Mike Pelfrey who both made last minutes pleas for clemency, but I’ve never really been a big fan of his.
As we’ve all heard countless times already this offseason, the Mets plan to have Jenrry Mejia work as a starting pitcher at Triple-A Buffalo this season where he will get some much needed seasoning and hone his skills as a starter.
Both Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins have stated he will spend most of 2011 in the minors and that he will work exclusively as a starter. Both have acknowledged that Mejia would have to be spectacular if he were to make the big-league roster as a starter.
Yesterday, a few of the Mets beat reporters reported comments that Warthen made, in which he referred to Mejia as being more of a bullpen arm – a reliever.
“A lot of people, because of his young age, still feel that he’s going to be a fairly good starter. That’s why baseball is so interesting. You can have differences of opinion and go on from there. I still pretty much believe that Mejia is going to be a very good reliever in the big leagues.”
Warthen even compared Mejia to Yankee great Mariano Rivera.
“I think Mejia works really hard to throw the baseball and I worry about the volume of pitches during the course of a year. I worry because you just watch his arm swing. It’s a long arm swing. His ball naturally cuts like a Mariano Rivera. If Mariano had to go out there and throw 100 pitches every fifth day, when a ball cuts all the time, instead of staying behind it, I think you find a lot of torque on your elbow and your shoulder. But, again, that’s a singular opinion.”
Although I love the comparison to one as great as Rivera, all he is doing is comparing their arm movement and how they deliver the pitch and the strain it places on the elbow.
Lets assume for a moment that Warthen is right, doesn’t it show some sort of a disconnect between the front office, the manger and their pitching coach? Clearly, they are not on the same page.
Obviously, as a reliever, Mejia’s value shrinks and his trade value decreases dramatically. Even the worst farm systems have a young fire baller or two that are future relievers – they are not that hard to find. It’s in the Mets best interest to see their top prospect remain a starter. It’s sort of like the Wilmer Flores situation. Everyone in the world knows he is not a shortstop, but the Mets keep playing him there because a shortstop who can hit is more valuable than a corner outfielder or infielder who can hit.
I don’t think it was wise for Warthen to make such comments openly and instead he should have simply expressed any concerns to his bosses and leave it at that.
I am now concerned about the possibility Warthen may be right, and if so, are we taking a huge risk by having Mejia throw 100 pitches every fifth day up in Buffalo and perhaps risk a potential costly elbow injury.
If you recall, Mejia was hurt twice last season. Once for a back issue, and then with a shoulder issue which caused him to be shut down for the remainder of the season.
I just hope they know what they’re doing with this kid, because in the little we saw of him last season we saw some flashes of brilliance and an electric fastball.
Hopefully Warthen is wrong, and Mejia does develop into a top of the rotation starter who can join the team and bolster our chances for a division title in 2012.
About the Author: Joe DeCaro
I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.
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I think we should definitely at least give Mejia a year in the minors to see if he can handle the workload of a starting pitcher. There’s no pressure to not shut him down for a while if they feel pitching that much is negatively affecting him. Then, fine, maybe he’s a future lights-out reliever.
Either way, I agree Warthen needs to realize he’s on a New York City club (he’s had plenty of time), and you can’t just throw stuff like this out and hope it doesn’t get around.
Again,
Let’s see FIRST what he does in spring training before we declare where he will be. I’ll remember this season as the season that everybody decided where all the players will be – WITHOUT FIRST SEEING THEM COMPETE IN SPRING TRAINING! I’ve never, ever seen anything like this.
What if Niese bombs? Or Pelfrey is inconsistent? What if Cap gets hurt? What if Young is not where we want him to be? What if Mejia has a great spring?
I think his chances of going up north is 50/50. But people let’s see them compete first.
What if Mejia has a great spring?
What, like last year? Oh, then totally bring him up, GUARANTEED success…just like last year right? When we saw the 20 year old with a whopping 31 Games Started at that point and we thought “yeah, sure, Major League ready.”
Young guys need to work things out. He’s at 48 Minor League games started and 1 Major League game started. I don’t think it’s crazy to want him to get a little more seasoning before coming to the Majors. In the minors if he’s having a rough day you can leave him out there to see if he can adjust and get through it. In the Majors, you don’t have that luxury.
That’s all I’m saying…
And Pelfry DID bomb in ST last year. How’d that translate to the regular season?
It’s much more than just numbers. Sure they can both have the same type of springs statistically but it doesn’t mean it’s going to lead to the same results again either.
You don’t know what has happened in young Mejia’s life over the winter. He’s probably grown a little bigger, has he filled out more? maybe he got laid for the first time? is he more mature? Is there anything about his mechanics he may have noticed on his own during the winter?
Do you think he is the same exact person as last year with the same exact body?
There’s a lot of things that can happen in a young player’s life (or anyone’s) between September of last year and now.
Let’s see how he responds in spring training first.
highly unlikely any team jumps a guy coming off of maybe 80 innings the year before, and only a few starts, who is only 20, straight into the opening day rotation. Unless you feel he is ready to go out and make 30 starts and pitch 180 innings in the majors, start him in the minors building up endurance, stretching out, getting his full repertoire of pitches down, etc.
and if you think it is a good idea to skip that, promise that you don’t dump on Sandy for ruining a promising prospect if he blows out during the year.
boom goes the dynamite.
what do you mean “boom goes the dynamite” You find some kind of finality in a.n.y.’s response? People see what they want to see.
Nobody is saying just throw him right into the rotation. All I said is he may have grown, his body may have changed, he may be more mature – things like that.
Let’s see how he handles the competition in spring training. If I’m the manager and I feel he is ready now to contribute than he is coming North.
It’s DISGUSTING the way Sandy & Co. are making public statements about kids competing for jobs. Ralph Kiner addressed this kind of issue during a telecast last season under different circumstances. I wish I can remember who the parties were he was talking about.
If you were a minor leaguer, especially one that has already played for the Mets – and you heard in the media that you were already being designate for AAA before spring training even starts? That is just flat out wrong. LET THEM COMPETE FIRST.
Then we’ll see. But as for ruling Mejia out of making the majors already? That is complete NONSENSE.
If I was 21 and designated to AAA?
I’d say “yaeah, ok.:
Not everyone can be Tim Lincecum unfortunately.
I’d rather see him fully ready to start…then, if we’re having problems with the rotation, call him up.
I’d just like to see him with some success under his belt, ready to compete before he’s competing. I just don’t think ST can prove that for your organization’s #1 Starting Pitching prospect.
You’re full of crap,
If you were 21 and were with the big club the previous season and were told you have no chance of coming north after ST – you wouldn’t be happy and neither would I. If you felt any other way than you’re not a competitor and you shouldn’t be in sports. Being competitive is an athlete’s nature. Have you ever played in any competition?
So don’t give me that pile of turd.
Also WHO SAID ANYTHING about being Tim Lincecum?? Is there something wrong with you? I just want Mejia to be himself and if that’s good enough to come North than let it happen.
obviously if other guys pencilled in get hurt it opens up spots.
but if Pelf is inconsistant? He starts opening day.
and not sure what qualifies as “bombs” to you, but Neise will pitch game 3 most likely, unless he stinks at historic levels.
still don’t see what you get so upset that the GM or manager actually gave some insight into wha tthey are thinking at this point (or hope to happen). everything is alway ssubject to change.
And if they refused to ever say antyhign but “we’ll see” they would be vilified for not keeping the fans in the loop!
and again, looking pig picture, there are times when no matter what a particular guy does in ST they will not make the team. That is called LT planning.
Your right about the trade value thing , although do you really think other teams scouts care what we say, they have there own opinions. When I see Mejia pitch I see Closer not starter
of course he needs to be given a chance to become a SP, since they are vastly more valuable.
and warthen probably should be fired for these comments (and at minimum, told to never open his mouth again inpublic).
Hopefully, the metsies at the top will continue to do their best to ruin this poor kid. They’ve done very well so far. PINg/PONG! SAVE YOUR WILPONS…KEEP THE JOKE ALIVE.
Its funny to hear someone say that dickey and pelf saved warthen. Maybe it was the other way around.
He is making the type of observation that a pitching coach is paid to make. He has been around more pitchers than all of us, and this is his opinion.
Even if that is Warthen’s qualified opinion, stating this early in Mejia’s career to the media is just plain dumb.
IMO, Mejia’s got about a 5% chance of going north after ST. He’s not ready, I don’t think ST will qualify him as ready and he’s coming off a year that included an injury. Let him get some starts in triple A and see what’s best from there.
Just proves Warthen should have been replaced along with Omar, Jerry, and the other clowns.
Sorry dudes, but I would side with warthen here. If he says he is better off as a reliever, then trying to make him a starter just because you don’t have enough of them is a bad idea.
Don’t say he didn’t warn you when jennry has his second season ending injury.
the annoyance at warthen was not specifically that he would have that opinion (agree with it or not). It is that he never should have said that to the press.
they aren’t trying to make him anything either. He was always a SP. so if they were trying to force him to be something he wasn’t, it was last year in the pen!
young guys with electric stuff are always given the chance to be a SP, and only move to the pen if they prove they can’t do it.
The problem is you don’t draft pitchers to be relievers!
You draft them to be starters. DO you draft a QB to be a backup? No he only becomes the backup if he fails to be a good starter!
So by giving up on Mejia as a starter he is pretty much ensuring that All mejia will ever be is a reliever!
I thinkWarthen should do his job and fix whatever it is he doesn’t like in Mejia’s delivery!
Thats what they pay him to do! He gets paid to make them successful not to judge if they will be or not.
Here is MY issue with what Warthen is saying…
Ok I get the concept that Mejia has some mechanical quirks that might lead to injury…
Isn’t it the Pitching coaches job to correct his mechanics so that he doesn’t have that problem?
You can’t draft players and then say well they will likely get hurt so lets make them a reliever. You have to try and develop the guy as a starter and then if he does manage to get hurt you can try to use him in a reliever role to retain some value of the player once he gets back.
But you don’t give up on trying to create a starter just because you THINK he is going to be hurt if he does. You wait until he DOES get hurt and THEN when he comes back use him in a limited reliever role so that you get something from the player.
You should never settle based on a HUNCH. It’s ok to settle once you know that he can’t do the more important job.
My problem with Warthen is he is too passive of a coach and this is a classic case of pasivity.
He has mechanical issues so instead of fixing them he gives up and calls him reliever.
Santana tips his pitches and it takes two games before Warthen notices and does something about it.
Pelfrey has a rough patch and Warthen doesn’t identify the problem (too many split fingers not enough gas) until he has a 4 game slump.
I know the Pitchers like Warthen and thats fine and I am not suggesting that what we need is a guy like Peterson who is way TOO aggressive in tweaking pitchers often ruining their mechanics because they are thinking about way too much.
But something in between would be nice!
We need a coach who can turn a struggling guy into a winner not some guy who gives up and says put him in the pen just because he can’t seem to find a way to correct the issues he think is wrong with the guy.
Warthen may not be perfect, but to ask for a guy to take someone struggling and make a winner is to ask for what you have. Dickey and Pelf weren’t setting the world on fire before they met Warthen. And you have to make up your mind, either you change mechanics or you don’t. We’ve seen Peterson do it his way, now Warthen is doing it his. Meija should spend at least half a year in aaa hopefully becoming our best majors ready prospect. If he gets hurt due to mechanics it’ll b on more than simply Warthen’s head. Where would the minors pitching coach be. How bout trainers who have been monitoring the kid. Pitching isn’t an exact science. So I’m willing to risk whatever happens as long as Jenry isn’t doing something obviously wrong.
As for Warthen’s outspoken nature. Yea I don’t like that. But that’s on Wilpon/Sandy for not letting the manager hire his own staff. Now you don’t have ducks in a row. So all the Alderson apologists, there’s one you can’t try and pawn off on “patience and flexibilty”
How many games did Santana get rocked in before Warthen figured out that he was tipping pitches?
How long was Pelfrey’s slump before Warthen looked at the charts and figured out he wasn’t using his fastball enough?
I don’t expect Warthen to work Miracles but all he has to do for an entire game is look at the pitchers and determine if they have gone off the reservation on what makes them good.
He DOES come up with the right answer but never quick enough.
Peterson is the exact opposite he races out there after one bad pitch (not good either!)
Warthen has the brains to make our staff good pitchers. But he is a bit laid back in staying on top of them. Thats my only issue with him. I don’t even mind his outspoken nature. As long as he says what he feels to the pitcher first I don’t care that he says it to the press afterwards.
Jenrry Mejia needs more command than he showed last year. Until he develops that and a better offspeed pitch, all views of his best use are academic. Of course, I share with Joe the concern that he not be misused, which would leave him risking serious injury.
Sandy needs to get everybody on the same page regarding organizational philosophy and decisions. It’s getting better but there is an obvious need for more. Hopefully we’ve seen the last of the Omar-Willie-Jerry misdirections and inconsistencies.