Yankee/Met Blockbuster

This is the second of two articles on Yankees issues.

As articulated in the first article, Yankee general manager Brian Cashman has a problem. He has an aging, but proud, left side of his infield. Neither player will agree to become a full-time DH; neither player will agree to split the third base and DH chores. Each is too proud and considers himself an all-round player. On the one hand, he has arguably the greatest player of his time in Alex Rodriguez (an outstanding career now tainted by his admitted use of steroids). On the other hand, he has Mr. Yankee in Derek Jeter. The Yankees, starting with Lou Gehrig in the 1920’s, have been lucky enough to have a succession of home grown everyday players of high quality as the face of their franchise. After Gehrig, there was Joe DiMaggio followed by Mickey Mantle. Bobby Murcer, while not on the same talent level, gamely tried to fill Mantle shoes. After a lapse of years, where the face of the franchise was a high priced free agent like Reggie Jackson, Don Mattingly stepped into the role. Now, it is Jeter’s time. Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle and, Mattingly only wore Yankee pinstripes in their major league careers. Jeter will follow suit. He will conclude his career as a Yankee.

Alex Rodriguez is a player more akin to Reggie Jackson, a high priced player, who made his name for a different franchise. Even the great Babe Ruth, whom the Yankees bought from the Red Sox, played elsewhere after the Yankees. If the Babe could move, so can A-Rod. To trade him, however, Cashman has to strike fast before A-Rod’s considerable skills begin to diminish and before it becomes painfully obvious that Jeter can no longer handle the shortstop position. As reported in the first article, few teams can afford A-Rod’s contract, even if the Yankees were to pay a significant portion of it. The two most obvious teams that can afford him are the Red Sox and Mets. There is no way the Yankees would trade Rodriguerz to the divisional arch rivals. Trading him to the Mets is doable. They play each other only six times a year in interleague play. Other than that, they would only meet in the World Series.

The question is would the Mets make the trade? They have not been known to look outside the box in the past. And, they have already passed on A-Rod when he was first a free agent. Then, the Mets made a big deal that A-Rod’s agent, Scott Boras’ demands were tantamount to special privileges that would undermine the team concept. In the end, Rodriguez signed with the Texas Rangers. His contract, while very lucrative, for the most part did not include the special privileges Boras demanded and was very doable for the Mets. They passed on him, no doubt because they had just gone to the World Series (losing to the Yankees in five games) and their defensive wiz at short, Rey Ordonez, was coming back from injury. Surely, with Ordonez at short, the defense would tighten and the Mets again would be in the post season. Never mind that a week’s production from A-Rod would exceed Rey’s output for a year, To ownership, Ordonez’ magical glove work was worth keeping and avoiding the big contract A-Rod with demand was paramount. Categorizing Boras’ demands as a deal breaker was nothing more than a convenient excuse. It was a huge mistake at the time. The Mets have only been to the postseason once since and Ordonez is out of baseball. Eventually, without the resources of the Mets, the Rangers had to trade A-Rod to the Yankees

Yet, the Mets should not pass on A-Rod again. No other player will fill seats in Citi Field like A-Rod. If Cashman were to call Minaya or, whoever is his successor as general manager of the Mets, and offer A-Rod for Jason Bay, Francisco Rodriguez, Oliver Perez and an 18 year old shortstop in the Mets organization named Wilmer Flores, the Mets should listen. They can move David Wright to second base (filling their most glaring position need). Angel Pagan has proven he is capable of playing full-time in left field. Carlos Beltran is under contract for one more year and, if healthy, should be back to playing at or close to his old self. The very affable Jeff Francoeur has shown some signs in the last couple of weeks of finally understanding the strike zone and is a sure fielding, strong armed right fielder. He could be signed at a reasonable price. It doesn't hurt either that his signing would please female Met fans of all ages. With those three in the outfield and A-Rod hitting cleanup, the Mets can afford to trade Bay.

This is not without pitfalls for the Mets. For one, they would be taking on a long term contract at a steep price (even if the Yankees were to take some of the burden). When the contract is over, Rodriguez will be 40. For another, the Mets would be moving their most prized player in Wright to a new position, probably one that will be hard to master.

Is it worth the gamble? Of course, it is. Wright is a hard worker. He will take the position change as a challenge. He will perform well enough defensively at second base. Dan Uggla is no Bill Mazeroski. He is in the Marlins lineup for his stick. Until they mastered the position, Chase Utley and Robinson Cano were in the lineup for their bats. If Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg can make the transition, so can Wright. The Mets lineup will be strengthened immeasurably with A-Rod in the cleanup role and a power hitter like Wright manning a position now shared by the over-the-hill Luis Castillo and the over matched Ruben Tejada. Imagine the lineup Met fans -- Jose Reyes, Pagan, Beltran, Rodriguez, Wright, Ike Davis, Francoeur and Josh Thole. Nice and solid, good left/right balance. Bring the outfield fences in a few feet (reduce dead center field from 408 to 400 feet, lower the left field wall so dramatic catches like Endy Chavez' can liven the park again and get rid of “death valley” in right-center making room for fans sitting in Mo-zone to walk out a catch a home run. Then, watch the fans come back in droves. In addition, the Mets rid themselves of two public relations nightmares in K-Rod and Perez. The only issue for the Wilpons will be how to increase seating capacity.

The Yankees might very well make the trade. It would be less of a public relations hit than some may think and the media savvy Cashman would realize this. There is no great love affair between A-Rod and Yankee fans. They see him as an intruder and not a true Yankee. To them, Jeter is their man. Moving A-Rod out so that Jeter can eventually move to third would be welcome by the Yankee faithful. Furthermore, Bay is likely to have a resurgence next year and would fit right in with Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher to man the three outfield spots as they share the DH role with Jorge Posada. Bay is a better defender than his reputation would lead one to believe. More importantly, for the Yankees and their fans, he plays the game the right way, always hustling, taking the extra base and running the bases smartly. The reason he has been out is he ran into a fence making a spectacular catch. He does not have the pizzazz or talent of A-Rod, then again he does not play third base. As for the now contrite and rested Francisco Rodriguez, he is added to the trade partly to help even off the dollars. Yet, he may become a very expensive 8th inning option for the Bronx Bombers and insurance in case the great Mariano Rivera starts showing his age . Alternatively, K-Rod may be part of a trade that fetches a veteran third basemen, who can hold down the hot corner until Jeter is ready to slide over. As for Perez, he is solely in the trade to even off the dollars. Although one never knows, the Yankees mostly likely would unload him during spring training. The key to the trade for the Yankees is Flores. He has been favorably compared to Miguel Cabrera as a hitter. At 19, he probably needs at least one and probably two more seasons in the minors. In two years, Jose Reyes will still be in his prime and blocking Flores’ ascent to the parent club as a shortstop. No such problem with Jeter. By then, he will be ready to move to third base.

Bottom line, it is a good trade for both teams and a great trade for New York and baseball. Radio talk shows would be discussing, dissecting and debating the trade for weeks. For days, the back pages of the tabloids will be devoted to the trade and its consequences. The Giants, Jets, Knicks, Nets, Rangers, Devils and Islanders would be afterthoughts. The Yankees would rid themselves of a problem that would certainly come to the fore in the next couple of years and the Mets would revitalize their team and fan base. More importantly for the Mets, season ticket sales, seriously lagging this year, would skyrocket.

Oddly, despite obtaining a guaranteed gate attraction and clean up slugger for the club, it is the Mets that probably would hesitate to make this trade. The gamble of moving their most recognizable player to second base and taking on A-Rod's long and enormous contract (even with the Yankees absorbing unwanted Met contracts) probably will prove to be prohibitive for the inept Mets front office led by the uninspired leadership of Jeff Wilpon.

Will the trade be made? Will it even be considered? HELL NO !!!



- 30 -

Yankee Issues

This is the first of two articles on Yankee Issues.


As September approaches, the Yankees appear set for yet another playoff run and defense of their 2009 Championship. Together with the Rays, they own the best record in baseball. Barring a collapse and a resurgence by the injury plagued Red Sox, the Yankees should have no problem playing October baseball. That is expected of this well oiled machine, boasting a payroll that far exceeds all other teams.

Last year, the Yankees managed with just three starters in the World Series (C. C. Sabathia, A. J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte). Lacking depth in the starting rotation, Brian Cashman traded Melky Cabrera for Javier Vazquez. While Vazquez has proven less than reliable, the emergence of Phil Hughes seemed to secure a solid rotation for the playoffs. Then, Pettitte was injured. He should be back well before the playoffs begin. There is no reason to think that he will not perform well in the post season. The same cannot be said Burnett. He has had a "roller coaster" season. A man possessed with fabulous stuff, he does not seems to know how to get by when his stuff is less than perfect. The result is he either dominates or implodes. Which Burnett shows up for the playoffs may have a lot to do with how far the Yankees go this year.

Next year, the conventional wisdom is that the Yankees will outbid all other suitors for Cliff Lee and slot him in the rotation for the departing Vazquez. The upgrade would be huge and the rotation (barring the retirement of Pettitte) will be solid. Is there a Plan B if for any reason Cashman fails to sign Lee (will the Wilpons show the Mets faithful they are in it to win it and share New York glory? -- doubtful). There probably is no Plan B and probably the Yankees will sign Lee. Issue solved.

The more glaring concern is the aging of the left side of the infield. For several seasons, the defense of Derek Jeter at shortstop had steadily declined until last year when the signing of the defensive stalwart Mark Teixeira to play first base and the improvement of Robinson Cano at second base helped tighten up the infield defense and seemed to spark a renewal in Jeter play in the field. This year, however, his age is showing again. It is only a matter of time (and not much time) before a position change has to be seriously considered. Where do you move him to allow younger legs to patrol the most difficult position on the filed? Cashman thought he had the solution when Alex Rodriguez decided to opt out of his contract a couple of years ago. Cashman was probably ready to sign a veteran third baseman for much less money, use the savings on pitching and prepare to eventually move Jeter to third base (as so many good hitting shortstops have done in their later years). Then, a Steinbrenner (not George, but the blusterous Hank) stepped in and spoiled the grand scheme. With no apparent competition for Rodriguez, Hank unilaterally signed him to a new contract for more money and more years. By so doing, he not only spoiled the grand scheme, he made it even harder to move A-Rod in a trade.

Now what? Jeter is the quintessential Yankee. He will never be traded. A-Rod is arguably the best player in baseball. By all rights, when the Yankees traded for him, he should have been the shortstop. By all defensive standards, he was the better shortstop. It was a little like signing Willie Mays in the 1950's and playing him in left field because Mickey Mantle was established in center field. While Mantle was a fine center fielder, he could not hold a candle to Mays' amazing play. Similarly, Jeter was not on par with Rodriguez. Yet, the quintessential Yankee remained at short and A-Rod agreed to move to third base. Now, even if the Yankee wanted to, it is unlikely that A-Rod can return to shortstop. He has not played there regularly for years and, more importantly, his hip issues probably make him a liability at the difficult position.

Sooner, rather than later, the Yankees will have to resolve this issue. Trading Jeter is out of the question. Trading Rodriguez is not. He has been a great player since he burst on the major league scene at age 19. He likely has several more productive years ahead. Yet, in order to receive any value for the bloated contract of a steroid cheat with a permanently damaged hip, the Yankees would have to eat a significant chunk of his salary. The Yankees can do that. Finding a trading partner is the hard part. Even with the Yankees paying a sizable portion of A-Rod's contract, only a couple of teams could afford him. Unfortunately for the Yankees, two of those teams are the Red Sox and the Mets. Would the Yankees be willing to trade him to their division arch rivals in Boston? Highly unlikely. The Mets? Maybe.

[See the next post for the proposed trade.]



- 30 -

The Slugger of the "Shot Heard Around the World" is Silenced

Bobby Thomson was a nice man, who happened to hit the most memorable home run in baseball history. The "Shot Heard Around the World" propelled the New York Giants to the World Series in 1951, where the defending World Champion Yankees, led by both an aging Joe DiMaggio and a youngster named Mickey Mantle, took care of business.

When you compare Thomson's celebrated home run to Bill Mazeroski's "walk-off" home run in the seventh game of the 1960 World Series, there should be no dispute that the latter was of greater significance. It ended a World Series. On Thomson's homer, the Giants had won the pennant as Russ Hodges immortalized those words. Within a week, the Giants were losers to the Yankees. In contrast, Mazeroski's blast won the World Series for the Pirates against that powerhouse (later to be referred to as the "evil empire").

Nevertheless, it is clear that Thomson's home run is the more famous one. Thomson was the hero. On the defeated side, Ralph Branca was the goat. In later years, the two became friends and did speaking engagement together. Often, they would end with a song (Branca's voice was superb, Thomson's was awful). They sang that song so often, that in the end, Branca may have been the winner. The truth is that both men are inseparable as any two players in baseball lore.

Bobby Thomson has one other distinction that no player can claim. He was the Giants' center fielder until Mays came up in 1951. He then played third base and center field when Mays was in the military service. Eventually, Mays took over center field for good and the Giants traded Thomson to the Braves. Bobby patrolled right field for the Milwaukee Braves until one year later when a young rookie with some promise came along in the person of Henry Aaron.

Everyone thinks of Wally Pipp getting sick and being replaced by Lou Gehrig at first base for the Yankees. Gehrig went on to have the longest consecutive game played streak until it was broken by Cal Ripken, Jr., and Pipp never reclaimed his job from the iconic Gehrig. But, Thomson did Pipp one better, he lost his job to two iconic players in Mays and Aaron. Between them, the "Say Hey Kid" and "Hammering Hank" slugged more than 1,400 home runs. Some of those were memorable. In particular, Aaron's 715th career home run to break Babe Ruth's record was heavily anticipated by the American public and covered by worldwide press. Nevertheless, for sheer drama, for reversal of fortunes and for sudden death impact, nothing is bigger than Thomson's "Shot Heard Around the World."

Rest in Peace, Bobby.

- 30 -

GEORGE STEINBRENNER AND ESTATE TAXES

With few exceptions, no one wants to die. George Steinbrenner had much to live for. His Yankees are the defending World Champions and had the best record in baseball going into the All-Star break. He had the love of his family to comfort him. And his son, Hal, seamlessly had taken over the general partner role of the Yankees ownership.

Unfortunately, George’s health in past few years was failing. When he had a massive heart attack and died last Tuesday at age 80, his family, friends and Yankee players and fans all mourned him. To them, his death was untimely. From a federal estate tax point of view, however, his death could not have been better planned. In 2001, the Republican administration and Congress passed legislation that reduced the federal estate tax (also known as the “death tax”) to nothing over a ten year period. It was understood that the tax would disappear in 2010 unless Congress passed new legislation and the President sign it. With a Democratic Congress and a Democratic President, it was assumed that the tax would be reinstated. There were some problems in Congress and no legislation was passed. As a result anyone, the estate of anyone, who died or will die this year, is free of federal tax. According to reports, Steinbrenner’s estate is valued in the area of $1.1 Billion. If Congress had passed legislation, the estate tax on an estate of that size could have been as high $500 Million.

The estate or death tax has plagued sports owners and their families for years. John McMullen sold the New Jersey Devils partly, if not primarily, out of concern about estate taxes. The dilemma is that sport team owners and their families, while rich, may not have the cash position to allow the heirs to pay the estate tax without selling all or part of their teams. McMullen liked to say that before he sold the Houston Astros, he was a “rich man without money.” After the sale, he became a “rich man with money.”

Estate tax concerned affected both the Jack Kent Cooke and Art Rooney families. Cooke decided to sell the Washington Redskins in order to liquidate enough assets so that his family could pay the taxes and he could fund his foundation. After great difficulty, Dan Rooney, one of five sons of Art Rooney, was able to hold onto the Steelers. Dan is now 77. His son Art Rooney II runs the team. The question is will Art II be able to keep the team if the estate tax is reinstated before Dan dies. In 1994, Joe Robbie’s family had to sell the stadium in Miami bearing his name and their remaining portion of ownership in the Miami Dolphins in order to pay a $47 Million este tax bill.

The Steinbrenner heirs do not have to worry about estate taxes. Neither Hal nor Hank nor any other heir will have to sell even one per cent of the Steinbrenner stake in the Yankees. It is said that only death and taxes are unavoidable. George was not able to avoid death. His estate, however, will not be taxed.

THE KING JAMES CHASE ENDS TONIGHT

Tonight is the night! Lebron James (King James if you will) will announce on nationwide cable his destination for the next few years. Befitting a King, James has asked and received time from ESPN to announce that has won the Lebron sweepstakes. The Knicks and Nets along with the Bulls, the Heat, the Cavaliers and even the Clippers, who have been chomping on the bit, will finally be able to relax. All but one will be sadly disappointed. To date, Lebron has been very quiet other than saying on the Larry King Show that Cleveland has the edge because he has played there and is his hometown.

The Nets have had experience winning with a great player in Julius Erving. The idea of bringing James has great merit for a new Russian owner, who perceives his team as an international commodity and is moving it to the Rock in Newark for a couple of years until the new arena in Brooklyn is ready. For James, it may not be a bad move either. Although the team toils in nondescript New Jersey, it soon will have the glamour of New York and the special relation of Brooklyn for court showman to strut his stuff. He is young enough to wait two years for the new arena. Meanwhile, the team can piece together a championship lineup. The question is -- who will do it? Rod Thorn is retiring and Kiki Vandeweigh was unceremoniously let go. Stay tuned tonight.

As for the Knicks, they see Lebron as the dawning of a new age, bringing a rebirth of excitement to the refurbished Garden and filling the house. Whereas the excitement is there and the money will surely be pouring in, the question is can the Knicks put a cast together that will lead to the team’s first championship since the glory days of the early ‘70’s. They already have one piece in Amare Stoudemire. It even has been a long time since the team played a meaningful playoff game. The years of Scott Layden and Isiah Thomas as general managers, with the curious leadership or lack thereof of the owner, James Dolan, have led to losing and no hope of changing course. For his part, Dolan at least, wised up enough to hire a professional in Donnie Walsh and allow him the freedom to dismantle the club to the point that he has enough cap room for James and Stoudemire.

For James, there could be no better platform the “World’s Greatest Arena” in the premiere international city. Nothing could be better for the league either. Yet James has given no indication that he is interested in joining the Knicks until yesterday. The national media covering James give New York little chance in obtaining Lebron’s services until yesterday.

When the Knicks were at their best, they were a cohesive team, where the sum total was greater than its parts. Each player willingly gave up part of his individual game and talent in order to play a role for the benefit of the team. Anyone, who has seen James play, knows that he is a team player. He loves to distribute the ball and find the open man as those glory Knicks teams did. His sheer talent, however, cannot help but dominate the game. Naturally, less gifted players tend to stand still and watch him to do his thing rather than do their thing. At times, it can be exciting. At times, particularly for those that remember Reed, Frazier, DeBusschere and Bradley flawless distributing the ball to the open man, it can be exacerbating.

Yesterday, news spread like wildfire. James was having dinner with Amare at Sparks Steakhouse. James will be making the announcement from Allan Houston’s home in Connecticut. ESPN would never give him an hour to announce he is going anywhere other than New York. Stay tuned tonight.

While Knick fans may be rejoicing tonight, the feeling in the pit of the collective stomach of the Cavaliers’ fans should be understood by all. The Indians will get worse before they get better. The Browns are searching for team identity. Lebron is the home grown hero of the Cleveland faithful. Met fans, who are old enough, think about the departure of Tom Seaver in 1977 and multiply your feeling by ten to realize the magnitude of the loss to Cleveland fans. Stay tuned tonight.

That James asked and was granted air time by ESPN to make this announcement is audacious enough. Requesting one hour is ridiculous. What does he plan to say in one hour? He is only 25 years old. He has enough time to tell us his entire life story. The assumption here is that he will announce his decision at the outset and then answer questions from the national local media covering the event. If Lebron decides to reveal his decision at the end of the hour, then we are in for one of the most anti climatic shows ever presented on television. Stay tuned tonight.

KNICKS' DYNAMIC DUO PASS AWAY

Long before Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Earl “the Pearl” Monroe formed a Hall of Fame backcourt combo for the New York Knicks, leading the team to its second and last championship, there Dick McGuire and Carl Braun. Before there was a “Tricky Dick” in Washington, there was “Tricky Dick” McGuire, a kid from Rockaway Beach, who had played at St. John’s and now was the Knicks’ point guard. Braun had played at upstate Colgate and was a sharpshooter. Together, McGuire and Braun formed a backcourt that rivaled the more illustrious Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman combo in Boston. Of course, Boston had Bill Russell at center, and Easy Ed McCauley before him. Even Frazier and Monroe had Willis Reed and Jerry Lucas manning the center position. McGuire and Braun had no such help. Nevertheless, the Knicks reached the NBA championship series three consecutive seasons in the early 1950’s, only to lose to the Minneapolis Lakers, led by powerhouse center George Mikan.

Failing to find a center to rival Russell and Cousy, the Knicks eventually decided to break up the team and shipped McGuire along with Nate “Sweet Water” Clifton and Harry “the Horse” Gallatin to Detroit. The Piston made McGuire their player-coach. The Knicks had made Braun their player-coach. This set up a classic confrontation between the two teams that cannot easily be forgotten. It was near the end of the season. Neither team had any playoff hopes. The Knicks and Pistons had the worst records in the NBA. The team, which wound up with the worst record, would select first in the college draft.

Listening on the radio, there was this series of plays, where Braun and McGuire kept losing the ball. Now, Braun was a shooter and not known for ball handling skills. McGuire, however, was great with the ball and perennially leader in assists along with the likes Cousy, who once called McGuire his role model. Yet, on that, in this short segment of play, McGuire managed to lose the ball repeatedly. It is true that both Braun and McGuire were aging and ready for retirement. Yet, the radio broadcast has left an indelible imprint. Left to the imagination, one can see McGuire and Braun smiling at each other as the ball kept being “intercepted” by the defense as if it were the World Cup.

Eventually, McGuire became the coach of the Knicks until he switched jobs with Red Holtzman and became head of scouting for the team. His number, 15, honoring both McGuire and Monroe hangs from the rafters at Madison Square Garden. Braun’s number 4 has not and probably will not be so honored. Perhaps, it should?

On Wednesday, February 3, Dick McGuire passed away at age 84. One week later, to the day, Braun followed at age 82. Those of us, who had the privilege to watch them play, saw a game that relied on wits and guile and play making. The idea was to get the ball as close to the basket as you could in order to take the best percentage shot. It is a far cry from today’s game, which is played above the rim and a star system has replaced the team concept.

Dick and Carl, rest in peace.

MEJIA SENT DOWN

In 1984, Davey Johnson became the manager of the Mets. He lobbied for a 19 year old pitcher for his starting rotation. Met upper management was skeptical, but let Davey have his way. For the next two years, that pitcher, Dwight (Doc) Gooden was the best pitcher on the planet. If drugs had not claimed him, his induction in the Hall of Fame would have been as certain as Tom Seaver’s.

Twenty-six years later, Jerry Manuel lobbied for a 20 year old to be in his bullpen. The youngster, a starter in the minors, had a fastball in the high 90’s and was working on his secondary pitches. Manual, seeing little comfort in his bullpen crop, wanted Mejia to serve as a reliever, maybe even eventually becoming the eighth inning bridge to K-Rod.

In the process, the kid, Jerryd Mejia, was screwed up. Manuel never found a role for Mejia. He was reduced to mopping up games. Warming up and then throwing in as many games as he did (when previously he was in a rotation, taking his turn on a set program) must have tired his arm. Finally, the Mets, with or without Manuel’s blessings, demoted Mejia to Double A so that he could be "stretched out" back into a starter. Manuel is riding a high right now as the Mets are in serious contention. Nevertheless, he has made his share of blunders, including batting Reyes third. Nothing, however is as egregious as wasting Mejia in a mop up role when he could have been developing his secondary pitchers as a starter in the minors.

There was hope that Mejia might be able to help in September. If not, then certainly he would be in the rotation next year. There was even talk of making him the centerpiece in a trade for an ace starter like Cliff Lee or Ray Oswalt. Everything is on hold now. The kid has an injury to his pitching arm. He has been shut down to further notice. When asked if the relief stint followed by trying to stretch him out led to the injury, Omar Minaya denied it. He is probably right that stretching out had not progressed enough for it to result in injury. After all, he had only thrown 44 pitches when he complained of the injury. That is hardly stretching him out. The stress on his arm in the bullpen, which he never had experienced before, however, may very well have led to the injury. It is a shame.

Twenty-nine years ago, Davey Johnson had the sense to leave Gooden as a starter. Too bad, Manuel did not have the same common sense approach. . Too bad cooler heads in upper management, read that Minaya and the Wilpons, did not nix the move. If he were in the minors and pitching well, then the Mets may have called up both Mejia and Dickey to replace Perez and Maine, when they were removed from the Mets’ rotation. And, if Mejia pitched as well as he can, then they already may have had their ace in Jerryd Mejia, the2010 version of Doc on the roster.