Good news…
The Mets announced that Jenrry Mejia had successful surgery to remove the bone spur that was wreaking havoc on his right elbow.
Everything went well, and Jenrry will have plenty of time to get ready for next Spring.
I didn’t want to write an entire post on this so I thought I’d add a quick update to Sagar’s post based on it’s relevancy….
Original Post 11:00 AM
With the Dark Knight down and out, the 2014 New York Mets have another huge hole to add to their list. Pitching is clearly a strength of the team, but it takes a huge hit when the ace could be out for the entire season. So who will be competing for spots in the rotation this coming spring?
Barring any additional injuries, you can pencil Dillon Gee, Jon Niese, and Zack Wheeler into the rotation. The righthanded Gee started off terribly, but has become a consistent pitcher that the Mets can rely on every fifth day. Niese has had a frustrating season, mostly due to a partially torn rotator cuff, but hopefully last night’s shutout is a sign of more things to come from the 26-year old southpaw. Wheeler has had a strong second half and will look to make the jump that Matt Harvey made in his second big league season.
You would have to think that Jenrry Mejia has an inside track to the 4th spot in the rotation, but it of course depends on his health. Mejia has made 5 starts this season to a 2.30 ERA in 27 and 1/3 innings, with 27 K’s and just 4 BB. He is expected to be ready for spring training, so Mejia has a good chance of starting the year in the rotation.
The fifth spot in the rotation is a different story, as it can range from somebody on the big league roster right now (Matt Harvey), to a minor leaguer (Rafael Montero/Jacob deGrom), or to a free agent pitcher. It is likely that the Mets bring in a veteran arm to at least compete for that fifth starting job, but they could also just promote from within as well. Jacob DeGrom is 25 years old and has pitched well enough to at least garner some attention. He also must be added to the 40-man roster, as he is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this offseason. Montero, on the other hand, is a much more highly touted prospect and has shown the progression of a potential front of the rotation starter; however, Montero does not need to be added to the 40-man roster, which will probably mean he starts the season in AAA and is brought up in May/June of 2014.
At this point, Noah Syndergaard is not an option to start the year with the New York Mets. Despite his rough outing on Monday, Thor is dominating AA. He will likely be a little behind the track that Zack Wheeler was on this season, because unlike Wheeler, Syndergaard has yet to reach AAA.
The last option, is signing a free agent pitcher to compete for a spot. There are a few decent options depending on how much the Mets will spend on the offense. A few options are Barry Zito (36), Mike Pelfrey (30), Phil Hughes (28), or Jason Marquis (35). Hughes is an interesting option, because he could also be an option for the bullpen. Zito is a pitcher the Mets coveted years ago, but has struggled all year. Pelfrey probably won’t want to come back, but he would be back in a familiar place.
In all likelihood, the Mets will probably sign a cheap free agent to at least create some competition with some internal options. Despite Matt Harvey’s tweet last night, it is extremely unlikely that he is ready by April 1st.
All in all:
1. Jon Niese
2. Dillon Gee
3. Zack Wheeler
4. Jenrry Mejia
5. Jacob deGrom / FA
So what are your thoughts, Mets fans?
