New York Mets: Slow Going in MLB's Jeurys Familia Investigation
Major League Baseball is experiencing some roadblocks as it looks into last year’s domestic violence incident involving New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia.
The assault charge against New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia was dropped in December, but Major League Baseball is still trying to sift through the details of the case in anticipation of a suspension before Opening Day.
As Bob Klapisch of The Bergen Record explains, the process has proved especially difficult in light of the refusal of Bianca Rivas, Familia’s wife, to testify in regard to the incident. On October 31 of last year, Rivas called the police and claimed that her husband was intoxicated and acting “crazy.” When police arrived at Familia’s home in Fort Lee, New Jersey, they found scratches and bruises on Rivas’ chest and cheek.
Familia was arrested, but the case never proceeded after Rivas asked prosecutors not to pursue it any further. Given that the 27-year-old Familia had no prior history of domestic violence, a judge dismissed the charges.
However, the Mets pitcher still has another judge to face: MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. The league’s head honcho has shown in the past that he will come to his own conclusions about appropriate punishment when it comes to domestic violence issues, regardless of the course taken by the legal system. Charges were dropped against Aroldis Chapman and Jose Reyes as well, but the league still slapped them with 30- and 51-game bans, respectively.
According to Klapisch, MLB’s own investigation has centered on finding out exactly what happened on the night of Rivas’ 9-1-1 call, and whether she felt pressured to ask for the case to be dismissed. So far she hasn’t been willing to cooperate, which has led to the inquiry stalling. As Klapisch points out, the Familia camp is likely thinking that providing any more details could only make things worse for him, resulting in a longer suspension.
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Assuming the league continues to get stonewalled, it’s difficult to imagine Manfred going for anything less than the 30-game suspension Chapman received. There were more details known in that case, like the fact that a gun had been involved, but the MLB commissioner is really under no obligation to let that deter him here. If anything, the general withholding of information is likely to be held against Familia and factor into the final decision.
Major League Baseball has typically adopted a more hard-line stance with its updated domestic violence policy, hoping to avoid much of the public backlash experienced by the NFL in recent years over tepid responses to incidents of abuse by its own players. Manfred will likely want to maintain that precedent, and justifiably so.
The Mets are eager to find out just how long they will be without their closer, as it could make an impact on their plans for what little remains of the offseason. Addison Reed stands to take over the closer’s role while Familia is sidelined, but the team has reportedly been on the lookout for more bullpen help this winter anyway.
Budgetary restrictions have made this a challenge, and the club’s inability to move Jay Bruce hasn’t helped in that regard. Klapisch notes that the Mets are still seeking a lefty setup man, and while Boone Logan just signed with Cleveland, an option like Jerry Blevins remains a possibility. The team did add to its bullpen mix today by agreeing to a minor league deal with veteran southpaw Tom Gorzelanny.
A decision concerning Familia is expected by the end of Spring Training. Whatever it may be, it stands to have a significant effect on the beginning of what the Mets hope will be another run to the postseason.
