I've heard this topic debated from both sides and until now I haven't really cared. But now I'm ready to take a side (in case you care). The Mets should not get Pedro Martinez.
One person posed it to me this way: "Pedro Martinez at 60% is better than any other 5th starter option at 100%." If you said this in 1995, I'd say you're correct, but today, I don't think so. First off we won't be getting a 60% Pedro Martinez. More like a 25% Pedro Martinez.
Pedro's best days are behind him. We all know that he's going to be injured at some point during the season and for a long stretch you'd have to rely on a revolving door of 5th starters until he comes back. His fastball is non-existent. His changeup is losing movement.
I think it's time to burn that bridge. I love Pedro in the clubhouse, but I'm done seeing him on the mound.
At this point, I'd let Jon Niese have at it. He's young. He's got decent stuff. He needs to be tested to see if he's legit. Let him start the season in the 5th spot of the rotation with little pressure on him. If he works out, fantastic. If not, we were going to have a rotation of Livan Hernandez, Tim Redding, and a pitcher to be named later anyway, so it's not a huge loss.
Low risk, potentially high reward. The same can't be said about signing Pedro...again.
Showing posts with label livanhernandez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label livanhernandez. Show all posts
Monday, March 16, 2009
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Get Ready for Some Baseball Leftovers
It's almost two weeks after Thanksgiving and the Mets are about ready to get some leftovers. The hype surrounding the Mets ability to get a top notch pitcher has quickly faded into oblivion. We started November with dreams of Johann Santana and Dan Haren. We soon switched to visions of Erik Bedard or Dontrelle Willis.
Now we've been woken up from our slumber with the cold breeze of reality. The Mets are going to be stuck with leftovers.
Now nothing is over until its over, but let's be frank, the Mets are getting phased out of every major discussion surrounding a top notch pitcher. The good part about that is the teams we're dealing with are probably wanting one of our core players like Jose Reyes or David Wright, and the Mets are unwilling to part with them. That I can agree with.
The bad part is the Mets are going to try and overcome our shortcomings last year with mediocre arms like Livan Hernandez, Bartolo Colon, or even Freddy Garcia. I hope the Mets don't fool themselves into thinking that's going to suffice.
My hope is that Omar Minaya will plant some seeds for some possible trading deadline moves. Now that we've traded away Lastings Milledge I was thinking we could have just traded him last year along with another player or two and had Barry Zito on our staff. But hindsight is always 20/20.
If we're not getting a top notch starting pitcher, we better have our sights set on some serious bullpen help.
Now we've been woken up from our slumber with the cold breeze of reality. The Mets are going to be stuck with leftovers.
Now nothing is over until its over, but let's be frank, the Mets are getting phased out of every major discussion surrounding a top notch pitcher. The good part about that is the teams we're dealing with are probably wanting one of our core players like Jose Reyes or David Wright, and the Mets are unwilling to part with them. That I can agree with.
The bad part is the Mets are going to try and overcome our shortcomings last year with mediocre arms like Livan Hernandez, Bartolo Colon, or even Freddy Garcia. I hope the Mets don't fool themselves into thinking that's going to suffice.
My hope is that Omar Minaya will plant some seeds for some possible trading deadline moves. Now that we've traded away Lastings Milledge I was thinking we could have just traded him last year along with another player or two and had Barry Zito on our staff. But hindsight is always 20/20.
If we're not getting a top notch starting pitcher, we better have our sights set on some serious bullpen help.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Are the Mets Too Desperate?
Does anyone else feel that sensation in their hands? It's the feeling of Johan Santana slipping away.
Do you hear laughing in the distance? Yup, that's Billy Beane chuckling at the fact that he now has the upper hand.
I'm getting the feeling that Omar & the Mets are getting desperate to do something before it's too late. Believe me, I'm first in line to sign Johan Santana, but not if it's going to cost us Jose Reyes. I'm right there wanting to get a Dan Haren or Erik Badard, but I've got this feeling that the Mets are proving themselves to be too desperate to sign a #1 pitcher.
The real problem is we are desperate. Let's say the Mets don't sign a top notch pitcher and sign some middle of the road guy like my least favorite rumored pitcher, Livan Hernandez. Let's say they sign two middle of the road guys. We'll throw in Freddy Garcia. So your starting rotation is Pedro, Maine, Livan, Garcia, Perez. Ok, not bad.
But what happens when Pedro misses a month due to injury. El Duque you say? Sure, as long as he's healthy. Guys like Garcia & Livan aren't exactly spring chickens with electric stuff either.
But is this rotation an improvement from last year? Are we going to have the same issues as we've had the past two seasons? Sure this rotation with our solid lineup might be enough to get us back to the playoffs but is it enough to put us over the top?
Every GM is starting to catch on to this and they know Omar likes to pull the trigger on the big deal. I'm ok with giving up prospects and some every day players for a #1 type of pitcher, but if it's going to take some franchise players like Reyes to do it, that's not a move we should make.
I've heard the Mets say that Reyes, Wright and Beltran are not on the table, but I'm a little scared that Omar might be too desperate to make a move.
GMs know that the Mets NEED a starting pitcher so they're talk about what players it will take to get their pitchers may be tainted to try and push the Mets hand.
In Omar we trust. We don't have another choice. Get the job done. And please don't bring in Livan Hernandez.
Do you hear laughing in the distance? Yup, that's Billy Beane chuckling at the fact that he now has the upper hand.
I'm getting the feeling that Omar & the Mets are getting desperate to do something before it's too late. Believe me, I'm first in line to sign Johan Santana, but not if it's going to cost us Jose Reyes. I'm right there wanting to get a Dan Haren or Erik Badard, but I've got this feeling that the Mets are proving themselves to be too desperate to sign a #1 pitcher.
The real problem is we are desperate. Let's say the Mets don't sign a top notch pitcher and sign some middle of the road guy like my least favorite rumored pitcher, Livan Hernandez. Let's say they sign two middle of the road guys. We'll throw in Freddy Garcia. So your starting rotation is Pedro, Maine, Livan, Garcia, Perez. Ok, not bad.
But what happens when Pedro misses a month due to injury. El Duque you say? Sure, as long as he's healthy. Guys like Garcia & Livan aren't exactly spring chickens with electric stuff either.
But is this rotation an improvement from last year? Are we going to have the same issues as we've had the past two seasons? Sure this rotation with our solid lineup might be enough to get us back to the playoffs but is it enough to put us over the top?
Every GM is starting to catch on to this and they know Omar likes to pull the trigger on the big deal. I'm ok with giving up prospects and some every day players for a #1 type of pitcher, but if it's going to take some franchise players like Reyes to do it, that's not a move we should make.
I've heard the Mets say that Reyes, Wright and Beltran are not on the table, but I'm a little scared that Omar might be too desperate to make a move.
GMs know that the Mets NEED a starting pitcher so they're talk about what players it will take to get their pitchers may be tainted to try and push the Mets hand.
In Omar we trust. We don't have another choice. Get the job done. And please don't bring in Livan Hernandez.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Mets are Wasting Time with Tier 2 Pitchers
Livan Hernandez? Haven't we had enough talk about Livan Hernandez over the past few seasons?
Carlos Silva? Does he really give us something that we don't already have in John Maine or Oliver Perez?
A Japanese import? Is our biggest off season signing going to be on a pitching version of a potential Kaz Matsui?
Omar, what are you doing? You're killing me is what you're doing. I know nothing has been inked yet and there's still plenty of hot stove talk to be tossed around, but I don't like the direction the Mets are headed in.
The Mets need, scratch that, the Mets NEED a tier 1 starting pitcher. That's not Silva. That's certainly not Livan Hernandez. It's not even Joe Blanton. The Mets have solid #2 & #3 starters in Maine & Perez and basically any of the additions I've mentioned are just additions of Maine & Perez type pitchers.
With Pedro recovering still and not knowing what to expect from him, the Mets need that dominant, consistent #1 starter to anchor the starting rotation. That's a Johan Santana. A Jake Peavy. A Ben Sheets. Those are guys we should be talking about.
If we are giving up young talent like Milledge, Gomez, Martinez, Pelfrey, Humber or even Heilman it better be for something good. We're better off getting a proven #1 starter than hoping a career #2 or #3 starter can step up.
Get a #1 starter and some bullpen help and call it a day. If we do that we'll be set with pitching for the next 3 years as we give Pelfrey or Humber time to develop. If we don't, we'll be hunting for more pitching help next year too.
Carlos Silva? Does he really give us something that we don't already have in John Maine or Oliver Perez?
A Japanese import? Is our biggest off season signing going to be on a pitching version of a potential Kaz Matsui?
Omar, what are you doing? You're killing me is what you're doing. I know nothing has been inked yet and there's still plenty of hot stove talk to be tossed around, but I don't like the direction the Mets are headed in.
The Mets need, scratch that, the Mets NEED a tier 1 starting pitcher. That's not Silva. That's certainly not Livan Hernandez. It's not even Joe Blanton. The Mets have solid #2 & #3 starters in Maine & Perez and basically any of the additions I've mentioned are just additions of Maine & Perez type pitchers.
With Pedro recovering still and not knowing what to expect from him, the Mets need that dominant, consistent #1 starter to anchor the starting rotation. That's a Johan Santana. A Jake Peavy. A Ben Sheets. Those are guys we should be talking about.
If we are giving up young talent like Milledge, Gomez, Martinez, Pelfrey, Humber or even Heilman it better be for something good. We're better off getting a proven #1 starter than hoping a career #2 or #3 starter can step up.
Get a #1 starter and some bullpen help and call it a day. If we do that we'll be set with pitching for the next 3 years as we give Pelfrey or Humber time to develop. If we don't, we'll be hunting for more pitching help next year too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)