NO JURY FOR JEURYS
… but MLB still likely to suspend Mets closer
Jeurys Familia’s legal troubles are over after domestic violence charges against him were dropped, but the Mets closer almost certainly will be suspended by MLB, with sources expecting a penalty of approximately 40 games.
Familia’s wife, Bianca Rivas, declined to pursue the case during a court appearance on Thursday following Familia’s Oct. 31 arrest at their Fort Lee home.
After the decision was reached Thursday morning, an MLB spokesman said the league’s investigation was “ongoing” and the Mets released a statement saying the team “will await the outcome of MLB’s investigation.”
Rivas told Judge John DeSheplo in Fort Lee Municipal Court that there was no prior history of domestic violence and Familia didn’t threaten her. The couple has a 1-year-old son together.
Familia had been arrested after Rivas told a 911 dis- patcher he was “kind of drunk” and “going crazy,” according to a recording.
Now that the legal proceedings have concluded, MLB’s investigation will kick into high gear, with a ruling possible before the beginning of spring training.
Based on recent precedent, Familia figures to miss about 40 games, since a conviction is not needed for a player to be sidelined by the league as part of its domestic abuse protocol.
Last season, after the Yankees acquired Aroldis Chapman in a trade with the Reds, the lefty was suspended for 30 games to start the 2016 season following an alleged domestic violence incident at his Florida home.
Unlike Familia, Chapman wasn’t arrested and fired a legally registered gun in his garage. Prosecutors declined to pursue the case in part because of insufficient evidence.
Jose Reyes sat 52 games last year after he was arrested following an alleged assault against his wife in Hawaii. Charges in that case were dropped when his wife refused to help the prosecution.
Both Chapman and Reyes were suspended based on information gathered by MLB, and both accepted MLB’s rulings. Familia is likely to face a similar situation once the league’s investigation is over.
If Familia opts to appeal MLB’s decision, he will get a hearing, but he is being represented by Jay Reisinger, the attorney who represented Chapman in his case and has a strong history of negotiating agreements rather than going to arbitration on all sorts of MLB discipline cases.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has said repeatedly he would take advantage of the offseason to look into Familia’s case and now that the legal proceedings have concluded, the league will try to get as much cooperation as possible from authorities involved in the case.
“I think that it is usually difficult for us to complete our investigation before the criminal process has run its course,” Manfred said last month. “We’re gathering information. But I think that particularly given that we’re in the offseason, we’re going to try to proceed at a pace that makes sure we know all the facts before we try to make a discipline decision.”
In the meantime, the Mets must plan on being without their All-Star closer for a significant chunk of time to begin next season.
General manager Sandy Alderson has acknowledged the Mets’ need for bullpen help, but that won’t come until they shed payroll. They continue to try to trade Jay Bruce out of a crowded outfield, but have so far found no takers.
The Mets weren’t high on lefty Mike Dunn, who agreed to a three-year deal with the Rockies, worth $19 million, on Thursday.
The Mets announced the signing of two right-handers — Ben Rowen, 28, and Cory Burns, 29 — to minor league deals. Rowen received an invitation to major league spring training.