Right-hander Jenrry Mejia may be getting one more shot at his big league dream. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reports that the Red Sox have signed Mejia to a Minor League deal with an invitation to the team's early minicamp. The club has not confirmed the report.
Mejia, 29, is a former closer for the Mets who was suspended for the first 80 games of the 2015 season after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. He was suspended again in July of that year after another positive test, and he was permanently banned from baseball after a third positive test in February 2016. MLB reinstated Mejia last July, but the Mets released the pitcher in November.
"Upon receiving Mr. Mejia's application for reinstatement last year, I invited him to New York to meet with me," Commissioner Rob Manfred said at the time of Mejia's reinstatement. "During our meeting, Mr. Mejia expressed regret for poor choices he made in the past and assured me that, if reinstated, he would adhere to the terms of the Program going forward. In light of Mr. Mejia's contrition, his commitment to comply with the Program in the future, and the fact that he will have already spent almost four consecutive years suspended without pay, I have decided to grant Mr. Mejia a final chance to resume his professional career."
Mejia now gets that chance with the defending World Series champions, who are without an established closer with Craig Kimbrel still on the free-agent market. Mejia, who has not pitched in a Major League game since July 2015, owns a career 3.68 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP over 113 career appearances.