1
2009
What To Do About John Maine?
An article by 
This off season John Maine is a potential non-tender candidate and there has been talk that the Mets will non-tender him today, the deadline for offering your players arbitration. The Mets can still sign Maine if they do non-tender him but being non-tendered is sought of like being fired and the club telling you you’re not worth the price you will get in arbitration.
I have been a supporter of John Maine’s for the last few seasons. I felt that trading Kris Benson for Maine was a good move by Omar. Maine had a good 2006 post season and in 2007 he won 15 games and even came close to a no hitter in the heat of a September pennant race against the Marlins. The future looked solid for him as the 2008 season drew near, but unfortunately it was dismal year for Maine, who only won ten games and ended the season on the DL with an arm injury. He ended up having surgery to remove a bone spur from his shoulder, and reportedly his doctors said that the spur was the biggest they had ever seen.
Maine came into the 2009 season ready to prove that the injury was behind him and he was working hard to get back to his 2007 form. Unfortunately for him and the fans, Maine struggled in April, posting a 5.40 ERA and only had one victory in four starts. The results in May were much better, as Maine went 4-1 with an ERA of 2.75. Maine did not have a good June last year he was subsequently placed on the DL due to fatigue in his pitching arm. He suffered many setbacks as he tried to comeback from injuries, but remained on the DL until September in which he only went more than 5 innings once. Maine finished 2009 with a 7-6 record while pitching 81.1 innings and posting a 4.43 ERA. His last start of the season was a good one though; he pitched seven innings, allowed just one earned run and struck out seven Astros.
A lot of friends have accused me of having blind loyalty for John Maine, and for the most part they are probably right. However, what can I say, I like his gritty attitude and his never say die approach to the game. He always wants the ball and always gives 110%. Maine’s arm/shoulder strength has always been somewhat worrisome to me. Last season, was not the first time he had to sit due to weakness in his shoulder. Usually before or right after the All-Star break Maine will miss a start or two due to weakness in his pitching arm. Maine also has a hard time getting out of the fifth inning as his effectiveness worsens when he works deep into games.
I have felt for a long time that Maine would be best served as a vital part of the bullpen. He could be used in several roles including that of a a long man, or the spot that I prefer him in, as part of a bridge to K-Rod. I think the Mets need to seriously consider putting Maine in the pen where I believe they will get the most production out of him while keeping the wear and tear on his arm to a minimum.
The problem with Maine is not so much the walks as it is the number of pitches he throws in a game. I believe in 2007, batters hit the most foul balls against him, and he had one of the highest number of 3-2 counts in the majors that season. Maine’s stuff is good, but it is not overpowering, and when opposing lineups see him after a couple of turns through the lineup, they only swing at pitches in the zone forcing him to throw more pitches which results in fatigue and high pitch counts. If Maine were to work out of the bullpen, it would alleviate that problem and he may be able to give the Mets one or two very effective innings per appearance. In a role like that, I believe he excel and become a bigger asset to the Mets than he currently is right now.
About the Author: Greg Pomes
11 Comments + Add Comment
NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationals | 26 | 18 | .591 | - |
| Braves | 26 | 20 | .565 | 1.0 |
| Mets | 24 | 21 | .533 | 2.5 |
| Marlins | 24 | 21 | .533 | 2.5 |
| Phillies | 23 | 23 | .500 | 4.0 |
Last updated: 05/25/2012
Recent Comments
- Stick: on Gee Dominates, Duda Homers In Mets 6-1 Win: really want to see duda go off...
- Joey D.: on Mets Will Not Demote Ike Davis Despite .159 Batting Average: Hi Metsie, Actually, there was no row 20...
- Metstheory22: on SNY Fixes The Buggy Mets Score Bug: It had to be a lot of...
- Mr North Jersey: on Gee Dominates, Duda Homers In Mets 6-1 Win: Back2Back solid starts from Gee. A rare...
- srt: on Gee Dominates, Duda Homers In Mets 6-1 Win: Solid 7 innings for Gee, the BP...
Write Your Own Mets Post
I 100% agree with you. I have been saying for a while now that Maine should be in the bullpen. It will save his arm in the long run. I can see him as the setup guy to K-Rod, and maybe even in a few years from now taking over the closers role. I’m not sure who, but one of the Mets announcers I believe, said in the past that he might make a good closer. Let’s put him in the bullpen, and who knows, maybe then we won’t need to go out and sign a setup guy, and can use that money on soemone else.
IN THE REAL WORLD I’D BE WORRIED ABOUT MAINE’S ABILITY TO PITCH IN 4 OR 5 G/WEEK LIKE A TRAINED TOP SETUP SHOULD BE CAPABLE OF EFFECTIVLY. I’M ONE WHO BELIEVES, THAT LIKE PELFREY, MAINE WAS DISSERVICED BY PETERSONIZATION, CREDITING RICK WITH TOO MUCH OF HIS SUCCESS INSTEAD OF LOOKING TO SELF RELIANCE. THE BIGGEST ISSUE WITH BOTH OF THESE SUPPOSED SP STALWARTS IS THE TOTAL LACK OF SELF-CONFIDENCE(A BULLDOGISHNESS) BELIEF THEY ARE THE BETTER OF THE 2 COMBATANTS 60’6″ APART, ONE WITH BAT THE OTHER WITH BALL. NEITHER TRULY BELIEVES THEY ARE THE SUPERIOR IN THESE MATCHUPS.(FORCING A ‘CUTENESS’ TO THEIR BATTLES RATHER THAN CHALLENGING. I THINK ZITO MAY HAVE SUFFERED SIMILARLY AFTER BEING DE-PETERSONIZED.
ONE ANAL-RETENTIVE POINT OF ORDER: MAINE WAS THE “ALSO INCUDED” PLAYER IN THE BENSON FOR JORGE JULIO DEAL.
That’s a lot of money for a setup guy. Especially one who spends a lot of time on the DL. Non-tender him and use the money somewhere else!
Am I in the minority or majority in thinking that nontendering John Maine would be a very very stupid move.
Maine has sure struggled through injuries in the last year and a half. But when healthy, this guy is a bonafide starter with excellent stuff. Let’s not forget how light’s out he was in 2006. Sure, he’s had issues with the fifth inning hump, but I think that is something he’s put behind him.
I’d be very susprised if the Mets nontender him today. This team needs every opportunity they can get with pitchers.
I agree with John. Maine is still capable of 12-14 wins. Hopefully his shoulder is healing and he is gaining strength back. I am not familiar with his type of scar tissue but someone did explain to me last summer that Maine will be pitching with pain the remainder of his career. Maybe someone on this board has more knowledge of Maine’s scar tissue/pain issues and can speak to this better than than I can?
Maine in the bullpen just doesn’t work for me. It would take him 20 minutes to warm up and most likely he is entering the game with men on base. Maine isn’t a rare back and here it is type of pitcher. He seems more of a finding a groovy-rhythm.I think it would take him at least 1 or 2 batters to get settled.
Why couldn’t Maine be our #4?
12-14 wins? He’s not a #4 starter if he can do that! But watching him the last two years why would anyone think he could do that?
Maine has battled through injuries, but the guy wants to play. Unlike Ollie, who came into the season completely out of it and thinks his 8 BBs/game are somehow part of it, Maine goes out there.
I think it is a tad unfair though to mention how few times he pitched past the 5th inning AFTER the injuries since he was limited by the team. He was only allowed three innings against the Phils (in which he gave up 1 run I believe) and was fairly decent in his other starts.
His main problem is indeed the lack of swings-miss. But for a guy who pitches as the #4 or #5, you can do a heck lot worse. I mean, he could be a guy like Ollie who made 12-million with a wonderful 3-4 record (and an era over 6). At least Maine’s victories don’t cost a million each,assuming Ollie can even get 12…
I agree they should put him in the pen.But he should only pitch 3/4 times a week.In a definate role,no coming in between innings.Just starting an inning.Especially early on i wouldn’t let him pitch in back to back games.But i believe him coming in for 1 or 2 innings he can let it loose,just dial it up and throw it past hitters.
I say we keep him. Even though he had a rough start this year, he was amazing during the last week of the season. I think if we give him another chance, he won’t screw it up like Ollie did.
The guy is so incredibly hard-working and motivated. He’s shown he can be lights out. How can the team non-tender him?
The guy cannot get past the 6th inning, ever. His usefulness as a dependable starter is in question. As a relief pitcher you have to consider two issues. One, he tends to blow up, throw 7 or 8 balls in a row at times. He loses his arm slot a lot. That does not bode well for a relief pitcher. Second, he has been hurt a lot lately. How often could he pitch? I have no problem non-tendering him and letting him go. This is a business, Wontpons. Start running it like one.