The Mets have re-signed starting pitcher Jeremy Hefner, reports Anthony DiComo.
The deal is for a minor-league contract and will allow the Mets to retain control of Hefner at a reduced salary while he rehabs from Tommy John surgery.
Hefner will likely miss a good portion if not all of 2014.
Great move though, nice to see Hefner back…
Original Post
Jeremy Hefner being non-tendered doesn’t sit too well with me. It has nothing to do with performance. It’s the human element.
I know it’s hard to feel bad for someone who had a half-million dollar a year salary, but of the five players that were non-tendered by the team on Monday, Jeremy’s cut is the one that stings the most.
Justin Turner, Scott Atchison, and Omar Quintanilla were arbitration eligible and are of sound mind and body to be able to seek gainful employment in 2014. Jordany Valdespin… well, what’s there not to say about Jordany. He needed to go. He can be “The Man” somewhere else… if anyone will have him.
But then there’s Jeremy.
Had he been a veteran player who had already made his fortune in the game when he hurt his arm and was facing a year of unemployment – I wouldn’t feel bad. I didn’t feel bad when the Mets non-tendered Mike Pelfrey – he had already made more than $14 million in the game. But Jeremy? He’s a pre-arbitration eligible player that played in the majors in 2012 and 2013 with just under two years of major league service time.
So what? Injuries happen all the time, right?
Here’s where the bleeding heart liberal in me kicks in. Hmmm… he got hurt on the job. So rather than keep him in the fold and pay him the minimum wage when he’s rehabbing the injury he suffered while in your employment, you fire his rear end while he’s not in any position to be able to find work.
Now maybe the Mets will sign him to a minor league contract for 2014 so they can keep a close eye on his rehab to see what he has for 2015. Even if they throw him a bone and do that, i’m sure it wouldn’t be at a major league salary – so he’d be getting a pay cut for getting hurt on the job. Oh, and because he’d be re-signed on a minor league contract – he’s not racking up the major league service time.
Maybe another team will look to sign him to a minor league deal so they can have him in their fold for when he’s ready to return to live action in 2015. Maybe he’ll even get another team to sign him to a major league contract for next year so they have him under control going forward. Or maybe he won’t get another shot because a whole new round of hungry youngsters moved up the ladder while he was away. Regardless, it just doesn’t sit well…
