Reese Kaplan -- Why Is This Tune So Familia?

Last year many folks were tickled pink when Brodie Van Wagenen, on the heels of acquiring the AL’s league-leading Saves champion, Edwin Diaz, then went after former Met Jeurys Familia and signed him to what nearly everyone agreed was a reasonably priced 3 year/$30 million contract.  Never being a big fan of reunions, I wondered aloud if this was the best use of scant resources.  I further questioned how well Familia would do in a non-closer role while your new closer got to watch his setup guy get paid more than 12 times what he was slated to make.

Sometimes I think folks have selective memories when it comes to their fandom.  The fact that Familia was coming “back home” was enough to satisfy a great many of them (professional sportswriters included).  Was I the only one who cringed every time Familia was brought into non-save situations where he was a night and day different pitcher altogether? 

Folks were quick to point out the “excellent” work he did in Oakland in the setup role once moving cross country to his new, temporary home.  Really?  I’ll give you his increase in strikeout rate to an impressive 11.5 per game, but after leaving NY his walks went up, his WHIP went up, his ERA went up and his batting average against ballooned to .264.  They all resembled some mighty big red flags to me and I opined as much. 

Well, I could be wrong.  Four games into his new Mets career he was perfect, not having yielded a run and opponents were hitting a mere .077 off of him.  Could it be he was adapting and dare I say flourishing in this new role? 

That didn’t last long, of course.  The rest of April was the stuff of nightmares.  His ERA was 8.44.  His WHIP was an almost unfathomable 2.43.  That’s like starting each inning with the bases loaded.  Batters were teeing off to the tune of .366 against him. 

The rocket scientists in the dugout and with the duct, er, medical tape in hand finally decided, “Hey, something might be wrong with the guy” and he was placed on the IL with what was identified as a Bennett Lesion.  The Mets in their inimitable mishandling of injuries said, in effect, “Take two aspirin and call us in two weeks.”  He returned to the team and was just as bad in most of his subsequent outings.  Now he has landed on the IL for a second time and again the diagnosis of Bennett Lesion has come up. 

Treatment for this condition is typically arthroscopic surgery with a recovery time of one year.  If this is what it’s going to take for the man to become a productive member of the team again, then by all means send him to the surgeon.  The club is going nowhere fast and as bad as he’s been, even the Wilmer Fonts of this world couldn’t be any worse. 

What’s doubly troubling is the pattern of how health screenings are performed by the team.  Four of the free agents signed by the club – Jed Lowrie, Justin Wilson, Luis Avilan and now Jeurys Familia – are all spending more time not playing than playing.  How they got past Huey, Dewey and Louie in the medical office we’ll never know. 

Furthermore, the ongoing issue of how injuries are handled is even more disturbing.  Did they keep an eye on their $29 million man with the surgically repaired heels?  No, he was sent home where he allegedly fell into a hole, prolonging his already lengthy recovery and killing his 2019 season entirely.  Brandon Nimmo was told to play through his pain and now has been shut down for 30 days’ minimum to deal with the bulging disc in his neck.  Robinson Cano was sent to the IL, came back for what, one day, and then was back on the IL again.  They routinely skip over rehab assignments in their haste to get their players back on the field which inevitably extends the amount of time they’re unable to play. 

Some are already of the opinion you DFA Familia and move on, but for a club unwilling to cut loose Juan Lagares and his paltry pro-rated $9 million, what are the odds they’re going to swallow more than $25 million?  At age 29 it’s entirely possible that Familia could rebound and resume his career if his medical issues are handled properly, but who here has the confidence that they will be?  When a club loses a player to injury during the season, it’s bad luck or the result of over aggressive play.  When it happens a second time, you think perhaps it’s just not your year.  When it happens again and again and again then you have to question how player physicals are evaluated and how injuries are handled when other clubs are not suffering the same fate.