The way Mejia pitches to me just simply is not the makeup of a major league starting pitcher. He isn’t made to be throwing 100+ pitches every 5th day. This is why I think when Mejia returns from Tommy John in ~1 year it’s time to start grooming him as the long term closer for the New York Mets. Before you get mad that I am converting the team’s #1 prospect to a closer, remember that your own Francisco Rodriguez was once the #1 prospect in the Angels system and he’s done quite well for himself.

– Joe DeMayo, St. Lucie to Flushing.

Gotta disagree with Joe here. First things first: No human is really made to be throwing 100+ pitches every fifth day. Yeah, Mejia’s currently limited arsenal does seem to lend itself to shorter stints, what with the great fastball and less-great secondary stuff, but I’d say it’s too soon to commit him to a bullpen role.

Is there evidence yet that starting is worse on the arm? (That’s not a rhetorical question; I’m straight-up asking.) Starters throw more innings, obviously, but relievers are often asked — as Mejia was last year — to throw on three or four straight nights, and can never develop a starter’s routine.

Thing is, starting pitchers are much, much more valuable than relievers, even closers, in part because starting pitching is a lot more difficult. That’s why, as Joe points out, so many of the great relievers are former (and in most cases failed) starters. It’s a hell of a lot easier to fool batters for one inning than for seven.

Part of the fallout from the Omar Minaya administration’s rushing and hyping of prospects is that we hear about young Mets for so long that they seem close to washed up when they haven’t even reached the age at which they should be expected to contribute to the Major League club.

Jenrry Mejia is six months younger than Matt Harvey. Mejia has a whole career ahead of him, and whenever he returns from the elbow injury he should be given further opportunities to prove his worth as a starting pitcher. Only when he demonstrates for sure that he cannot handle it should he be moved into a relief role.