11
2010
Does Anybody Want The Fifth Spot Besides Figueroa?
An article by Former Writers
With all the talk about #2 through #4 of the rotation for the Amazins, the 5th spot is as up in the air as an Ike Davis homerun. There are arguably about three or four pitchers contending for the spot. After a tenuous 2009, a clear message is being sent to everyone not named Santana or Rodriguez on the pitching staff: The best pitchers get the spots. Pure and simple. Let’s take a look at the prospective back-enders. We need solidification in the rotation and the #5 spot is no exception. here are the top three contenders along with their updated spring stats.
Jon Niese - 7.71 ERA, 4.2 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 4 ER, 5 K
Considered by many including Jerry Manuel to be the #5 starter and will have to pitch himself out of the job to lose it to anyone else on this list. It may take a big collapse to push him out of this spot. His big league experience is slim, but he did pitch admirably for the big league team when called up. He pitched 6 games in 2 years. He’s healthy and has shown no ill effects from the leg injury that derailed his season. All he needs to do now is pitch his tail off. The consensus pick.
Fernando Nieve – 6.00 ERA, 6 IP, 7 H, 4 BB, 4 ER, 2 K
The dark horse in the race for the 5th spot. He sported a 3-3 record in 7 games (2.95 ERA) last year at a time when the team really needed him desperately due to pitching woes. Now that he’s over the leg injury that put him down last year, he could very well upend Niese for the final spot. The only true difference between them is that one is a lefty and the other is a righty. Sounds trivial? That may make a huge difference as the Mets could use competent lefties in their rotations to offset the lefty heavy lineup in Philly, for one. Plus, Nieve is out of options and Niese is not.
Nelson Figueroa – 0.00 ERA, 8 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 0 ER, 9 K
What’s to say? Figgy has been up and down and all around and rumor has it that the Buffalo to La Guardia Shuttle will be named after him, Figgy helps his cause this spring by pitching eight scoreless innings in his three appearances this spring. Figgy (and the Mets) know that if he is sent down once more, he may have seen his last opportunity in a Mets uniform. He clearly has been verbal about playing in Flushing and wants to remain with the team. He’s pitching, not only like he wants to stay as a Met, but like someone who intends to make it really hard for the powers-that-be to choose anyone else for the 5th spot.
Who do you like for the 5th spot? I’m going to say Figgy should be given the spot, allow Nieve to be the long man, and bring Niese along slowly. This gives the Mets room to move if Niese has to be sent back down since he has options left. Figgy and Nieve can be interchanged at the 5th and the long relief spot but I think Figgy deserves one last chance to make an impact. That’s my perspective. What’s yours?
About the Author: Former Writers
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Assuming Niese continues to suck, I’d rather see Takahashi get the fifth spot than Figgy. I already know what Figgy can do, and I’m not impressed. He’s getting a bunch of minor leaguers out, so what?
And Takahashi has been getting who out? Minor leaguers and Japanese ballplayers. let’s not get carried away with him yet.
hey, you asked
Hey Pete! So Figueroa’s “getting a bunch of minor leaguers out, so what?” So why not cancel Spring Training. It’s not needed. Pitchers will be facing a bunch of minor league batters. Hitters will be facing a bunch of minor league pitchers. So why do we need Spring Training? Pete, you’re one of those anti-Figgies I heard about. Even if he retires every batter he faces in Florida, you’ll say that he’s almost 36 and he wasn’t that good before 2009.
Anti Figgys? say herman, are you for real? all I can tell you hermy baby, is I have seen Figgy pitch many times, both on TV and at Citi in person, and he just isn’t very good. What else can I say? I like the guy, he’s an upstanding guy and I have no problems with him as a person, but he stinks as a pitcher, he’s 4 A, all the way. I’ll tell you one more thing, if Figgy is our fifth starter this year the Mets are screwed.
Pete: On August 3, 2009, at Citi Field, as a starter, called up from Buffalo, Figueroa gave up 6 runs in 1.2 innings. Mets lost 6-5. Two days later, on August 5th, at Citi Field, he pitched 4.1 scoreless innings against St. Louis and won (also hit a 2-run triple). In Atlanta on Sept. 17th, he gave up 6 runs in 5 innings; on Sept. 22nd, his next start, also against Atlanta, but at Citi Field, Figgy gave up 2 runs in 7 innings.
The games in which he wasn’t very good were August 3rd at Citi Field and Sept. 17th in Atlanta.
Please explain: “I have seen Figgy pitch many times, both on TV and at Citi in person, and he just isn’t very good.” What 2009 games on TV? What games at Citi Field? All the games are listed on baseball-reference.com
Also please explain what part of his 2009 and 2010 record shows “he stinks as a pitcher.” Going back to what he’s done before he pitched for the Mets doesn’t count. We’re talking about now. 2010. Not even 2011. Just 2010.
You can’t. That’s why you are and will always be an Anti-Figgy.
ok hermy baby, since you are obviously obsessed with Figgy, and the whole “anti Figgy” concept, I will state, quite simply, that when I look at Figgy I don’t see an up and coming prospect like you do, I don’t even see a quality major league pitcher. I see him for what he is, mediocre: a lifetime minor leaguer with 377 big league innings spread over seven seasons. A lifetime major league won-lost record of 13-28, with a 4.54 ERA. 5.9/K per nine and 3.65/BB per nine. If you want a below average pitcher as your fifth starter, that’s your business, but it’s pretty stupid to shoot yourself in the foot just because you have some kind of man crush on the guy. I was at a game on september 5 against the Cubbies. You would say Figgy pitched “well” that day, I wouldn’t. He did strike out 8 batters in 6 innings which looks good on paper. But the reality was this: Figgy did pitch well…for Figgy, however (and I know that level of competition is not something you put any stock in hermy baby) the Cubs were floundering as a team when they came to Citi that weekend, and they had only two major leaguers in the line-up that day, and each one of them, Aramis Ramierez and Derek Lee, hit monstrous two run homers off your boy Figgy, which cost us the game. He had no trouble retiring all the lousy players he faced, but was hapless when he had to get a good hitter out with the game on the line. I said it befor and I’ll say it once more, I like Figgy, I really do, I wouldn’t mind too much if he was the long man in the pen as long as he gets guys out, but if he is the Mets fifth starter we are all in a lot of trouble. And hermy, you saying what he did before 2010 doesn’t count, is ludicrous! How can his history as a pitcher not count? What doesn’t count is what he has done so far this spring because of the quality of competion and the tiny sample size. You really have a strange perspective on pitching hermy.
Seems you can’t back up your statement, Petey, that “I have seen Figgy pitch many times, both on TV and at Citi in person, and he just isn’t very good … he stinks as a pitcher.”
That’s one game you mention, Petey. Where are the “many times,” Petey? Anyway, it doesnm’t matter, Petey. What will be, will be.
I say that with his work so far, how much does Nelson have to continue to show Mets, including his great work in Caribbean WS that Nelson deserves a chance. He pitched well last Sept and should be given a shot. Niese can go to AAA, he still has options,don’t rush him back from that terrible injury in spite of his saying he is ok, Nieve can be a long reliever but Nelson has shown over the last 7 months that he deserves a shot and if he fails, Mets have backup in Nieve and Niese. What is the rush for Niese, I believe he will be part of rotation in 2011 so don’t rush him and let him get more experience in AAA. IMHO. Go Nelson.
Lots of things can change in the next couple of weeks. Right now you’d have to say that Figgy is the one. Let’s wait and see.
He should be our 5th starter. At the beginning of camp I was hoping that Neive would get the spot because I like what I saw last year but obviously that doesn’t seem to be the case now does it.
i agree. give the fig newton his chance to shine for his hometown team. niese is young and will take the decision in stride. nieve is a nice backup plan and performed admirably. figgy being sent down would undermine the whole point of competing for a spot, and would be heartbreaking to boot.
as for takahashi – i like what i see… i don’t care if it’s japanese players or minor leaguers. the dude paints corners and gets outs. bottom line, he executes – a trait we have been sorely lacking from our rotation… use him as a reliever for now, but a nice wild-card to have in our back pocket.
You know, I admit myself, I get a little judgmental this early in Spring Training.
I do think Hisanori Takahashi deserves a mention, but I think the job belongs to Niese. Obviously, if he pitches terribly in Spring, then it might just go to Nelson.
We’ll talk about the 5th starter in about…2 weeks, though.
I would give the spot to Nieve and send figgy and niese to the minors.
Figgy,Nieve and Niese will all be starters. Maine,Perez and Pelfrey will probably be staggering by June.
Give Figgy the 5th and have takahashi as the long man and they can both switch back and forth. Nieve can be placed on waivers or ask for his release. And if niese starts dominating AAA then call him up.
If I see figueroa on the team the first week of the season I’m gonna throw up!!!!
Yu gotta be kidding me!!
Figueroa should be our #8 spot starter, he can go 30 ip w/o allowing a run in the ST and I still wouldn’t wanna see him wit the mets until september when we got a 5 game lead wit 4 games to play!!!
tell that to herman
Takahashi or Figgy, whoever can spare the bullpen the most. A stint in the minors isnt going to hurt Niese, as he hasnt been lighting up ST in anycase.
keep all three up, Neise #4, Nieve #5, and Figgy as the long man/spot starter. you can swap Figgy and Nieve if you like. Move Perez to the bullpen to work out his issues hopfully someday making it back to the rotation.
FYI it is Spring Training and ERA’s mean jack & Sh&t, and Jack left town.
Pitchers in Spring are working to improve specific pitches, work on location, release, velocity, etc.
They may throw 5,10, 15 fastballs in a row, just to work on the pitch. If a hitter is expecting to get all fastballs, then it makes it pretty easy to get hit around.
Save your worries and comments to the last week of Spring, and if by then they are still getting knocked around, then maybe you have some reason to be nervous. Hell Johan gave up 4 runs in less than 2 innings, and you don’t see everyone losing their minds.
Not to mention Figeroa played winterball and is most likely using more breaking pitches than the other two.
Have a coke and a smile and chill out for a week or two, then you can blog all your rants then
Given the choise between those three, and the fact that Perez, Pelfrey and Maine are all guaranteed spots. Lets just call it a season and look toward 2011.
oldtimer makes the best point, he says by June, but I think maybe well before, Maine and Pelfrey and Ollie will go down in flames again. Then we’ll be plugging everybody into the rotation, just like last year. Stay close Figgy there may be a little sumpin for ya. Hey! Maybe John Maine should be the 8th inning guy, and stick Takahashi or Pat Misch in the rotation?
You are such a positive Mets fan, have you ever thought of cheering up sick kids in the hospital?
It’s pretty obvious why Niese is being pumped up as the 5th starter. A competent leftie would make three total in the rote and presumably a thorn in the side of the lefty hitting Phillies. Even at the expense of losing Figgy? Figgy, OBVIOUSLY, has shown himself to be the better of the two but if we’re discussing upside, Niese has the edge and will probably get the shot. I only hope that the Mets find “some way” to keep Figgy in the majors. Long man perhaps? I don’t know. Isn’t Spring Training exciting?
He is a long man at best. We do not need another 5inning pitcher. I say forget the numbers and give it to niese!
Most people feel like you and want to give Niese the shot. He is showing that he may be able to handle it but, at the same time, Figgy has been given one start in three appearances. Clearly, the Mets don’t see him as a viable starter and perhaps a AAAA pitcher. For all those that would rather see Niese, just remember the past so we’re not doomed to repeat it. Having a lefty in the rote makes us stronger against the teams that we need to beat, for sure, but I’m with Vegas, I can’t believe there’s no room for Nieve, Niese, and Figgy. It’s hard to put all the eggs in the Maine-Pelf-Perez basket. Great comments, guys. Appreciate it.