15
2010
Should Mets Sign John Smoltz?
An article by Joe Spector
Please don’t hold my pessimism against me. Usually I’m a “glass is half-full” kind of guy, but the 2010 Mets are essentially relying on the same starting rotation they had last year as it’s been painfully told and shown to us all winter long.
Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, John Maine, Oliver Perez and perhaps either Nelson Figueroa or Jon Niese, are going to round out the staff. It’s a rotation with more health issues than a VH1 reality show and about as much raw intimidation as Tim Gunn.
Bottom line, like Casey Stengel said, “Good pitching will always stop good hitting…and vice-versa”. I love ya Casey but sadly that does seem to be the logic of our beloved Amazin’s.
The solution is about as complex as the situation itself. We can’t trade our way out of this and we can’t sign every free agent under the sun. With an off season full of fans demanding the Mets pay top dollar for a few nominal pitcher’s at best, the Mets were oddly content with the signing of Kelvim Escobar to a 1 year 1.25 million dollar contract.
The same Kelvim Escobar who tore the labrum in his pitching arm a few years ago with the Angels. The same Kelvim Escobar who hasn’t pitched an inning so far this Spring. The same Kelvin Escobar who will probably start the season on the disabled list. The same Kelvin Escobar whom I guessing won’t get as much as a nanosecond on the mound at Citi Field.
Now in defense of the Mets, the pick of the pitching litter this off season was John Lackey. The Mets did make a play for him but unfortunately he ended up with the Boston Red Sox. His stats were impressively solid but his health always seemed to be the 800-pound gorilla in the room.
Whether the Mets didn’t offer as much money or guaranteed years or a personal Swedish bikini model masseuse, whatever, he didn’t sign with them. Not every player is meant for the bright lights of New York. Go ask Bobby Bonilla who even as a native New Yorker, was given the warm welcome of an overpaid MTA executive with a runaway case of the swine flu.
There were a few others on the Mets radar this winter such as Joel Pineiro, Jon Garland and even John Smoltz. All have their pluses and minuses with Pineiro being the favorite in this bunch by many.
Pineiro eventually signed with the Angels. Garland signed with the Padres and Smoltz is still out there probably golfing with Pedro Martinez until someone needs an experienced arm in August. Quite the crop I must say. If the Mets didn’t have bad luck they’d have none at all.
I feel signing Smoltz, I mean prying Smoltz off the greens at Isleworth, might pay off in one of two ways provided he’s healthy. It’s a big gamble I know and it’s easy for any of us to say lets give 5 million to a 42 year old pitcher with health issues and call it a day, especially since it isn’t our money.
With recent news that the Minnesota Twins closer, Joe Nathan, may miss the season with an arm injury, now is the time for the Mets to get off the pot and bring in this versatile veteran pitcher. He would be a greater financial risk than Kelvim Escobar for sure but his upside could be invaluable.
However if the Mets fizzle out before the trade deadline, and Smoltz is still pitching effectively, theoretically he could draw interest from a contender.
If you remember the year was 1987 and the Detroit Tigers were in a heated pennant race against the Blue Jays. To bolster their pitching the Tigers acquired Doyle Alexander from the Atlanta Braves, sending a little known minor league pitcher by the name of John Smoltz to Atlanta. The rest is history of course.
Of course if it happens, and he signs with the Mets, I wish Smoltzie health and success. Yet it would be a fitting end for Smoltz to be traded for a minor league pitcher, but with our luck we’d probably stay in contention right up to the very last day of the season and blow it.
But then again what am I saying, nothing like that has ever happened before. Silly me.
About the Author: Joe Spector
I'm just your regular Joe. Staff writer @ Metsmerizedonline.com. Happily married and a father to a baby girl. I attended my first Met game at the ripe old age of 3 where my father scored a foul ball and had it signed by Lee Mazzilli, Joe Torre and Joe Pignataro. It was my Holy Grail - 'till I buried it in the backyard.
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If you are going to the golf courses to find a risky arm. . . .get me pedro. He has unfinished business in NY.
Pedro wants to comeback for the Mets but will management sign him for this season though?
Right on, unfinished business can be a very motivating factor especially for Pedro. he is a very proud man and wants to have his legacy unscathed. I wanted him all last year and we all know what happened.
agreed
Escobar is an RP now even if his arm ever heals, so isn’t really relevant to rotation discussion. With the ownership playing tight-wads, $5m for Smoltz who at best would be lucky to go 6 IP rightfully doesn’t make sense to them. Mets need at least a horse, at best a front-line guy, of which Smoltz is neither. There’s really nothing that makes good sense out there right now, so they’d be best to just try to plug through the early part of the season with their jumble of question marks. If things don’t work out passably, they’ll look to scavenge. Now if they can get Smoltz for closer to $2m + incentives, that might change the equation for ownership. But now that team’s like Minn might be interested, it’s prob less likely the Mets would bid, not more.
Um, we don’t need a $2 Million closer, we have a $12+ million closer.
K-Rod or Smoltz
Um, the answer is easy
Uhm, I think you might want to re-read my comment: “closer to $2m” means a salary closer to $2m than $5m, not Smoltz in the closer role. Yeesh…
I disagree with going after Smoltz. The mere fact of having to “pry” someone off a golf field to play for us is enough evidence to convince me that the desire isn’t there.
Why are we looking at throwing money at a “hypethetical” issue here. Once again I will reiterate, Week 3 of spring training. John Smoltz is not the Mets answer, and despite the fact that I LOVE Pedro Martinez, and would love to see him on the team (in a mentoring role only), Martinez is not what will help us win.
No more contracts, lets stick with what we have and see where we are at by the deadline. Chances are, the Mariners will look to deal Lee if they are not in contention, since they probably can not resign him anyways. If we are in a good spot, perhaps we make a play.
This is our team, all good options have already come and gone. Lets not compile the problem by throwing money away on old high risk players.
I’m not sure if anyone heard, but the phillies were having internal discussions about swapping howard for albert pujols, and we mets fans are flip flopping about john smotz and nelson figueroa.. nice to know
Nice.
Stay away from the tabloids – it was NEVER a real discussion it was all speculation.
Do you REALLY think St. Louis would give up the greatest player in the game today for a guy that ONLY hits homeruns? Come on…….what are you new?
I think it was just the Phillies tossing around ideas. I don’t think anyone every contacted the Cards.
Exactly, I think it was just for fun – but of course our expert here has to spin it and complain about Figgy.
Wayne g, ur gonna have to wait in line, xtreem is already my #1 fan, but is nice to know ppl like u wanna be on line to criticize a person who keeps it real, say what u will I can care less, ur the one wasting ur time to try and get my attention, I won’t budge like u..
Keeps it real? You are delusional. Learn how to spell, we’re not 5 year olds sending text messages.
Awww, sounds like someone woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning.. is a shame there’s still ppl like u who r allowed to type comments like this, u should learn how to respect ppl’s comments and move on, the funny thing is I’ll bet u if we were face to face u wouldn’t sound so arrogant and tough.. but hey, that’s the internet right..
Oh, and btw, pls show me any 5 year old sending text msgs.. i’d like to see that.. idiot..
What’s true right now that John Smoltz has joined the TBS Baseball broadcasting team so you can scratch him off.