Suspended Mejia gets deal, pay cut

NEW YORK — Suspended reliever Jenrry Mejia and the New York Mets have agreed to a one-year contract worth $1,729,000, money the pitcher will not receive because of his three positive drug tests.

Even though Mejia was banned from baseball for life in February 2016, the Mets retain his rights as a player on their restricted list. The deal is the maximum 30 percent cut from his 2016 salary of $2.47 million. He was cut the maximum 20 percent last year to $1,976,000. Under baseball’s drug agreement, players serving suspensions do not get paid.

Mejia was suspended for 80 games on April 11, 2015, following a positive test for Stanozolol, a drug popular among bodybuilders, and admitted then he took a banned substance. He returned that July 12, appeared in seven games for New York, then was suspended for 162 games that July 28 after a positive test for Stanozolol and Boldenone.

His third positive test was for Boldenone. Mejia denied taking any substances that triggered the second and third positive tests.

Mejia may apply to baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred for reinstatement, and Manfred at his discretion has the power to let Mejia back in baseball.

Nine Mets remain eligible for arbitration after the deal the team confirmed Monday and they are set to exchange proposed salaries with the team Friday: starting pitchers Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler; relievers Jeurys Familia, A.J. Ramos and Hansel Robles; catcher Travis d’Arnaud; and infielder Wilmer Flores.