d'Whit - Jenrry Should Close

Jenrry Mejia should be made the Mets closer. He’s the best option for the role. I know that I’ve touted him as the 5^th starter for months but the circumstances have changed. He throws hard and most importantly he throws strikes. I’d imagine for a one-inning appearance he hit 96-98 MHP on the radar gun.

Even though Jenry has made it clear he wants to start TC should go to him and say, “Look we think you’d be a great starter but right now you are best option for closing games. I believe you can excel at this, and the team needs a closer. You’re the man for the job.” I think that he’d embrace the idea and not sulk over losing his rotation spot. In essence it will be a promotion because a closer is more important to the team than a number 5 starter. 

Another reason why this move makes sense is that you don’t know what you’ll have in Parnell if he has TJS. You're looking at a closer in his 30s unable to pitch till mid-season 2015. Do you really want to pay him at that point? Especially considering how tight the strings are around Jeffy’s man purse. Even if he doesn’t require TJS, Parnell is damaged goods at this point. Every time he’d take the mound there’d be gasps and breath holding on every pitch. His body language and facial expressions scrutinized from media and fans alike. No, the move to make is install Jenrry Mejia as the Mets closer. 

I still believe that he would be a successful piece of the rotation this year and in the future but in sports career paths often change on a dime. Mejia's value now is better served at the end of the game for the team rather than the opening. If you make him your closer and he succeeds then you’ve solved a potentially expensive problem with a cost-effective in-house solution. Best of all you’re not retreading the likes of Kyle Farnsworth and Papa Grande. You insert Dice K as your 5 till you call up Montero, if Dice K sucks than you either bring Montero up or roll with Lannan until the M-Train arrives. 

As for all the young arms down on the farm? Well they’re just that-young and wild. Vic Black is not closer material at this point, Walters isn’t ready, Edgin looks lost, and Familia was lights out, until the final weeks of Spring Training when his command issues resurfaced. Another reason to move Mejia to closer? You raise his value on the trade market. If he closes successfully you can swap him or return him to the rotation in a couple of years if the Mets feel that any one of Black, Famiilia or Walters are the answer at the back-end

Let’s face it what makes more sense to the 2014 Mets: a) signing a 40-year old defensively challenged outfielder, b) relying on the likes of Valverde or Farnsworth to be your 9^th inning guy or c) moving a talented, hard-throwing starter into the closer role for the foreseeable future?

What do you think? a, b, or c? Or do you have another solution to the ongoing woeful saga of the Mets ‘pen.