Jan
23
2011

Chris Young Is Excited, Healthy And Confident

An article by Hojo's Mojo

The Mets have made a series of minor signings this offseason, but one of the more significant ones was the acquisition of former Padres starter, Chris Young. Sandy Alderson spoke of how dominating Young was in San Diego last week.

“Chris has the potential to make a big contribution this year. We were together in San Diego when he was one of the most dominating pitchers in the league and we feel he’s a good fit for Citi Field.”

Young will be paid $1.1 million in guaranteed salary, but could earn another $3.4 million with incentives based on games started and innings pitched. He had a lot to say during his conference call last week and his enthusiasm and excitement was quite apparent.

“I’m really excited about the way I feel right now. I feel healthy. I feel strong. I’m hopeful that it will hold up. I expect it to based on the work and the conditioning that I’ve done. I look forward to being successful. I’m throwing right now. I don’t have a radar gun on me, but I feel the life on the ball and the arm speed is better now than it was at the end of the season. I feel like my arm is stronger now than it was at the end of the season. I was actually pleased at the end of the season. I felt like each start progressively the velocity went up about a mile per hour. That was just part of building arm strength, and unfortunately the clock sort of ran out of time.”

In the only three starts Young made after his return from a near season-long DL stint, he had a decent showing and had worked himself up to throwing 82 pitches, throwing 51 of them for strikes. He allowed only nine hits in fourteen innings, but was a little wild and gave up eight bases on balls. However, he bore down and only allowed two runs to score, both coming on a 2-run homer. There’s reason to be hopeful with Young, and his addition could end up being the one that makes the most impact from this offseason.

Opp	Rslt	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	Pit	Str
STL	W,8-4	4.0	3	1	3	3	0.90	69	41
CIN	W,4-3	5.0	3	1	3	1	1.20	72	42
CHC	W,3-0	5.0	3	0	2	6	0.90	82	51
		20.0	10	2	11	15	0.90

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com

Young sees that same potential with the Mets as the Padres had last season when they were picked to finish last and one of the surprise contenders in 2010.

“I know that the starting pitching has taken a little bit of a hit with Johan Santana being out, but hopefully he’ll come back strong at some point during the season. Last year, being on the Padres, it served as a great learning experience for me. But you really can’t make predictions until you get out on the field and play the games. Last year San Diego was picked to finish last, and maybe lose close to 100 games, by a lot of experts. The team overachieved, and it really was a great group of guys who believed in one another. Based on what I’ve seen so far here, it’s the same type of chemistry within the guys. There are a lot of good guys here that I’ve met thus far. If we all pull together and believe in each other and play the game the right way, anything is possible.”

The biggest point Young makes comes in his closing sentence where he talks about believing in each other and playing the game the right way. I’m hoping to see just that from the Mets this season.

About the Author: Rob Johnson

17 Comments + Add Comment

Mr North Jersey January 23, 2011 at 11:24 am

i kno there are a lot of if’s but allow yourself as a Mets fan to think “what if”

pelfrey pitches as well as last yr without the bad month?
dickey pitches as well as last yr?
- Mr North Jersey January 23, 2011 at 11:33 am
  
  sorry accidentally submitted b4 here is rest.
  
  niese continues to grow and impress as a mlb starter?
  young has a full bounceback yr?
  cap has a full bounceback yr as well?
  
  the potential for the Mets is there if you allow yourself to be a glass half full type of person.
  - alwaysnextyear January 23, 2011 at 12:32 pm
    
    certainly possible. Not likely that neither rehab guy has any setbacks, but it is also possible that someone else unexpected (or unknown) steps up to play a big role (like Dickey did last year).
    
    I am actually pretty confident that Peld, Neise and Dickey are going to be fine, and give the team a reasonably solid to above average front of the rotation. If they can cobble together a solid 4-5, they will be fine.
    
    as long as the offense steps up and carries their weight for a change, the team should be in the playoff hunt. Hell, on paper, they are probably better than 2007 or 2008 when they stayed in it until game 162!
Sponge Bob January 23, 2011 at 12:12 pm

This is no different than the same garbage we heard with Kelvim Escobar and Freddy Garica. What happened to them? Mets fans are setting themselves up for a big fall if they really believe all these injured pitchers we signed will keep us afloat for some wild card chase. I’ll go out on a limb and say at least four of these eight such signings end up getting hurt in spring training and starting the season on the DL. I say three of them never throw a picth for the Mets all year like Escobar and Garcia. Thats not me being pessimistic, that’s just me being realistic. All these so-called great value picks will be nothing more than wasted money. And when they do all drop like flies, the media better burn the front office for signing injured players. No free pass.
- alwaysnextyear January 23, 2011 at 12:28 pm
  
  no that is pessimistic, expecting the worst case scenerio.
  
  and what is it with fans that need to get themselves all depressed, expecting horrible things, and not daring to have any hopes or dreams for the season before it even starts?
  
  why even bother to root for a team or pay any attention?
  - Sponge Bob January 23, 2011 at 12:39 pm
    
    Thats not a worst case scenario. I said four of eight will end up on the DL. That’s very realistic for a group that includes 5 tommy john surgeries, three shoulder surgeries and two procedures to remove bone chips. If you think all of those pitchers are gonna breeze through and not only stay healthy but also return to greatness, your not being very realistic. On top of all these injured players we bought in, we still have yet to determine if Bay is healthy, if Beltran’s knees will hold up, if reyes hamsting, calf anf gland problems are over, if Johan even comes back at all? Out of our 25 man roster, half of them are all huge injury concerns. Half!
    - alwaysnextyear January 23, 2011 at 12:47 pm
      
      ok, if you think 1/2 of the pitchers they signed don’t make it out of ST, and 3 never pitch at all. I put that more toward the pessimistic side of the spectrum.
    - Pete January 24, 2011 at 6:22 pm
      
      No you can’t determine the extent of those injuries before ST. But that doesn’t diminish the importance of picking up guys like Cappy and Young on extremely economical, high reward, low risk contracts. If Omar had practised that strategy, we wouldn’t be in the financial mess we are in, and we would be in a position to spend the big $$ on good players, and not the crap we are throwing our big $$ away on.
- oktoday January 23, 2011 at 12:46 pm
  
  This pitching staff is really good. They do have 3 good starters, and Gee, a possible 4th one. Plus 2 who was once extremely good who have spent over a 1 1/2 years to get over their injuries, and that IS THE NUMBER IN ORDER TO GET OVER IT.
  
  And of course Santana, Who I do not have much faith in this year.
  
  So why think so negative, when they seem to have 6 very good starters to start off the season with.
  
  And they will have every position, pen, bench, put into place with good players.
  
  So lets think happy things about the Mets. Ya Metzie team.
  - alwaysnextyear January 23, 2011 at 12:50 pm
    
    hey, a positive thinking fan. good to know there are a few more out there.
    
    The team is actually looking like it will be more solid than in recent years. Better quality starting players, and a better bench/back up system. Just not having francouer or castillo will be a hug upgrade. And Beltran and reyes likely to start the season on the field.
- Mr North Jersey January 23, 2011 at 1:02 pm
  
  You may be right it is not unrealistic to think many of these guys will have setbacks at some point during the season as well.
  
  Yet in trying to look at the moves done so far this offseason which 4 players that you expect to make the team are the ones you feel will end up getting hurt in Spring Training?
  
  Ronny Paulino – Major League Roster
  D. J. Carrasco – Major League Roster
  Chris Capuano – Major League Roster
  Chris Young – Major League Roster
  Taylor Buchholz – Major League Roster
  Scott Hairston – Major League Roster
  Taylor Tankersley – signed to minor league contract
  Raul Chavez – signed to minor league contract
  Willie Harris – signed to minor league contract
  Tim Byrdak – signed to minor league contract
  Blaine Boyer – signed to minor league contract
  Bradley Emaus – Rule 5 draft pick
  Pedro Beato – Rule 5 draft pick
  Ronny Morla – Rule 5 draft pick
  Richard Brooks – Rule 5 draft pick
  Quintin Berry – Rule 5 draft pick
  Mike O’Connor resigned – AAA move
  Russ Adams resigned – AAA move
  Dusty Ryan – AAA move
  Boof Bonser – AAA move
  Chin-lung Hu – Trade
  
  newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20110121&content_id=16479228&vkey=pr_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym
  newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110121&content_id=16475166&vkey=news_nym&c_id=nym
  mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20110117&content_id=16447922&vkey=pr_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym
  newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110114&content_id=16442590&c_id=nym
  newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20110112&content_id=16425508&vkey=pr_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym
  metsblog.com/2011/01/03/mets-sign-tyler-buccholz-and-chris-capuano/
  realdirtymets.com/2010/12/09/checkout-the-mets-rule-5-draft-picks/
  mlbtraderumors.com/2010/12/mets-agree-to-sign-dj-carrasco.html
  metsblog.com/2010/12/07/mets-close-to-deal-with-c-ronny-paulino/
  - alwaysnextyear January 23, 2011 at 1:10 pm
    
    during the year, sure. Every team deals with this on their pitching staff. That’s why depth is so important.
    - Mr North Jersey January 23, 2011 at 1:10 pm
      
      agreed
- Chris January 23, 2011 at 3:35 pm
  
  Yo Squarepants, this isn’t even close to the same garbage we heard with Escobar and Garcia. Escobar was a signing based on hope, because he was signed to pitch in ’10 having thrown 92 pitches in June of ’09, on a major league deal no less.
  
  Garcia, in case you were unaware, was released by the Mets after two starts, and then was picked up by the Sox and ended up making 9 starts and being worth 7.2 million that season. So it wasn’t even a bad sign, in hind sight, they just didn’t hang onto him long enough.
  
  Not even close man. Capuano and Young signings are based on actual realistic upside.
Lifelongmetsfan January 23, 2011 at 4:10 pm

Chris Young is healthy? Am I reading that right? Chris Young has stated that he is healthy? So if Young should break down in late June/ early July can the Mets void his contract per. failure to disclose injury? If Young were to really be honest he would have said, “Hey, what other MLB team is going to pay me a guaranteed 1.5 million w/incentives with my hx.?” I think the Mets felt they had get Young. I would have been fine with Gee pitching after all 2011 is not going to be a banner year in met history. It’s hard to figure out these Wilpons. I stand by my assertion that the Mets have made a decision not to be competitive for the 3-5ys rebuilding process but why then even sign Chris Young? I can think of 3 reasons off the top of my head:
1. catch lighting in a bottle, maybe Young is really healthy
2. lipstick on a pig theory, dress up the roster just a tad w/ a credible name
3. trade Young for young prospects to a contending team mid season
of he is pitching well
- alwaysnextyear January 23, 2011 at 4:25 pm
  
  4) they have a lot of expensive and potentially good talent on the team for 2011, but were short of SP depth, so they signed the best experienced guy they could within the budget constraints to a modest base (reflecting injury risk) + incentives (that I hope he makes).
  
  if anything, signing him flies in the face of punting 2011/rebuilding, since if they were doing that you would be seeing Gee and Stoner types instead and no ML signings.
  
  it does, however, fit with what Alderson essentially said they were doing (adding what parts they could with limited money to spend to compete in 2011, without eating up too much payroll flexibility for next off season).
  
  Oh, and it is possible that if 2011 does go poorly, anyone on a 1 year deal like Young could be dealt for prospects.
- Mr North Jersey January 23, 2011 at 5:45 pm
  
  Yep your right what other MLB team gives a player a guaranteed contract when the previous year he spent part of it coming back from an injury?
  
  That is unprecedented in MLB amazing how the Mets have gone and set a new precedent.
  
  Spare me the over reaction please this happens all the time around MLB.

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