21
2011
Mets Missing The Boat On Some Great Available Pitching
An article by 
It’s kind of sad to sit back and watch the names of all these solid young pitchers dominate the rumor mill and the trading block this hot stove season.
In any other year, we might have seen the Mets jump in on one or two of these pitchers to fortify the rotation, but instead we sit on our hands and look, but not touch.
Of course you get all the silly rumors that the Mets are interested in this one or that one, but nothing ever comes of it except some meager signing afterward like a Chuck James or Jon Rauch. This is what the Mets have been relegated to as the Selig-enabled Wilpon-sideshow continues in Flushing.
Somebody asked me the other day, why hasn’t MLB taken over the Mets like they did with the Dodgers? I responded, who said they haven’t? Alderson coming here to slash payroll and try to make the Mets solvent again is in fact an MLB takeover, only fluffed up like a china doll in a gift shop window. But once you walk in and look around you can see exactly what’s going on in the inside – empty shelves and no customers buying.
Getting back to my rant, I can’t believe the quality and quantity of great young arms that have been available this offseason. Some of them have already been scooped up, but there’s still plenty of top talent available for the taking.
- Jair Jurrjens – The 25 year old posted a career best 2.97 ERA for the Braves in 2011.
- Matt Latos – The 23 year old righty has career marks of a 3.37 ERA and 1.15 WHIP to go with a 8.7 K rate.
- Gio Gonzalez – A 25 year old southpaw who won 16 games last season with a 3.12 ERA and 197 Ks in 201 IP.
- Trevor Cahill - The 23 year old won 18 games in 2010 and has a career 3.91 ERA in three major league seasons.
- Matt Garza – In his first season with Cubs he posted a 3.32 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 197 strikeouts in 31 starts.
- Yu Darvish - Only 25, he went 18-6 with a 1.44 ERA and a league-leading 276 strikeouts in 232 innings last season.
There’s even more names rumored to be available, but that hardly matters for the Mets.
It’s just a terrible time to be the Mets right now – a team fresh out of money and **** out of luck.
About the Author: Joe DeCaro
I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.
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You forgot to add Jon Neise to the list.
Oh wait…
See this is my point. Every team has developed a starting pitcher similar to Jon Niese (with 10% up or down) There’s nothing extrodinary about that and that consequently they have something to trade.
We never have (until this year) We always are held to the big huge money deal which can come back and bite you if it gets hurt (Johan) or falls off a bridge (Ollie)
The three best starting pitchers that have been produced during the Wilpon era are Bobby Jones, Pete Schrouk and Mike Pelfrey and that’s over a 25 year period. A period that coincidently includes ZERO world championships and only four playoff appearances or on average one every six years.
You cannot win when all you can do is go out and make the big money deal. It cannot work. What we have is FINALLY some semblence of talent in the minor leagues but nothing extrodinary. An average farm. Hey it’s been a long time since we can say that. Probably 1982.
The Cards didn’t win a World Series with a whole team of free agents. Who’d they have? Holliday. Giants either. Maybe a few tide me over veterans at positions they were short on 1-3 year deals but the heavy lifting was done by guys that they drafted and developed.
NYY had 19 of 38 guys on their roster scouted, drafted, signed, and developed by their organization.
Texas is spending huge money developing their own players. They signed Leony’s Martin out of Cuba, the top TWO OF prospect this year in IFA. Their showing how a team can both build to contend and not skimp on the draft and IFA.
KC and Pittsburgh started spending big in the draft 3 years ago and their both involved in IFA. Oakland and Seattle too. Washington has a ton of talent and the Braves always have the best farm in baseball.
It’s a lot to overcome when you can’t even develop one catcher and everyone else has three or four.
anyway, this is an interesting list. On the surface, it seems odd that they would be out there (well, not Darvish, he was a FA so not at all the same situation).
so really, on a macro level, it does support the theory that SP is at such a premium that you can get a motherload back for it in trade, so you can fill more holes than you open up (if you either have pitching to spare, or so many holes you aren’t competing anyway right away).
If someone the level of garza can bring back say 2 guys to start on the field for you, that has to make the team better overall.
First of all, only 2 of these pitchers have been traded so far.
Second, look at the deals themselves. Cincinnati and Arizona gave up a lot (but Cinci has a deep system anyway) and both teams can realistically win their division or make the wild card.
Third, it costs over $50 million just to talk to Yu Darvish. Are you saying the Mets were in any position to sign him?
I’m not saying anything more than what I inferred which is this was a terrible time for Mets to be broke.
Second why do you act like quality pitchers shouldn’t coast a bundle?
They should cost a bundle and the sad part is that the Mets are not allowed to play on the high stakes table, only the nickel slot machines.
I never said they shouldn’t cost a bundle. I advocate going after starting pitching before anything else. I really value top flight starting pitching.
The thing is, the Mets don’t have a bundle, in money or prospects.
Besides, the current FO, like most of the better FOs in the league, don’t telegraph their every move to the media. In fact, they seem to play it close to the vest and we only learn about their deals once they are made.
I know, that Chuck James signing was completely under the radar. I have to admit I never saw that coming.
See, Alderson is a magician
This is what I laugh about. EVERY team makes signings like Chuck James. Why is this a big deal? I know you said it tongue in cheek but some are not.
HAPPY BRITHDAY TO DAVID WRIGHT….
Cumpleano feliz, cumpleano feliz….
LMAO, MNJ, is my favorite player’s birthday, if i was to give him a gift i’ll give him some clutchjuice.. a whole year worth of it.!!
I heard he needed protection to help blow out the candles and he still left some candles in scoring position.
Playing the game, who would you suppose the Mets trade for one of these “stud” pitchers. Please do not start off your trade proposal with guys like Daniel Murphy.
Why not?
Come on, no team is trading a stud pitcher for a package built around Daniel Murphy.
I misunderstood your post. I thought you were one of those who thinks Murphy is untouchable.
I might be crazy but I thought if the Mets signed a Buerhle to help solidfy the rotation they would have had a decent shot to at least compete for a wild card next year. Too many thing have to go right for the Mets to compete now. I think they will score runs ok and the bullpen looks better but the starting rotation looks really shaky to me. I mean we are relying on Santana to come back healthy and other than Dickey the Mets starters were far from impressive last year in a very pitcher friendly environment.
Dallas. you’re not crazy, getting burhle meant we were gonna be competitive and good, with sandy at the helm that’s not gonna happen.. but hey, is all good, he had a good day!
Alex I have two serious questions.
1) While Buherle would have made us better, would it have been enough to make us “good and competitive”? If you believe so then man are you much more optimistic than I am about the 2012 situation. Would it have made the Mets better? Sure but to what extent?
2) Do you honestly believe that there is some secret agenda by Sandy where he desires for the Mets to NOT be competitive? You have to finally realize that Sandy has two things going on that you have not came to terms with. The Mets are broke. The Mets have taken an alternative approach to what you think they should do. They have decided to build from within while also try to have financial flexibility for later. Sure you can argue that plan but you are limited on how much you can argue that plan because of number 1. So is Sandy right? No idea. Is his approach right? No idea. Would he take this approach if he had money? No idea. Will we just have to wait and see? Yeah. Will that suck? Yeah. Is there a damn thing we can do about it? NO, well we could complain and bitch about every little move but we have tried that already and it has not worked.
Alex I have two serious questions.
1) While Buherle would have made us better, would it have been enough to make us “good and competitive”? If you believe so then man are you much more optimistic than I am about the 2012 situation. Would it have made the Mets better? Sure but to what extent?
2) Do you honestly believe that there is some secret agenda by Sandy where he desires for the Mets to NOT be competitive? You have to finally realize that Sandy has two things going on that you have not came to terms with. The Mets are broke. The Mets have taken an alternative approach to what you think they should do. They have decided to build from within while also try to have financial flexibility for later. Sure you can argue that plan but you are limited on how much you can argue that plan because of number 1. So is Sandy right? No idea. Is his approach right? No idea. Would he take this approach if he had money? No idea. Will we just have to wait and see? Yeah. Will that stink? Yeah. Is there a damn thing we can do about it? NO, well we could complain and whine about every little move but we have tried that already and it has not worked.
Here is the question YOU need to answer…
IF you keep on with the assumption “would it have been enough to make us “good and competitive”?”
If youNEVER go get a good player then when exactly and how do you expect to get good enough to warrant getting one?
If you keep on using the excuse that we are not good enough to start getting good enough then you will never be good enough to ever get a good player and consequently become the Pirates!
This whole “he won’t win us a WS or make us good excuse is just that an excuse to say we suck lets stay that way and not even try!
Metsie what is this if you “NEVER go get a good ballplayer” BS?
I just gave you 15 different examples of the Mets going out and getting a “good ballplayer since 1991. How can you possibly say that we HAVEN’T gone out and gotten “a good ballplayer?”
You can’t. That’s been plan A, plan B, plan C and plan D-ZZ every freakin year since 1991 and what exactly has it done for us?
Gotten us to the post season one more time than the Pirates that’s what, and we even needed their help to make it one of those times.
I agree, but where might one get the money to sign Buerhle?
Dallas, I agree. With Pujols out of the NL, and an additional Wild Card, Buehrle would have helped to solidify the rotation and kept the team more competitive. If Johan returns at even 85% anything could happen. Baseball shows us that every season.
BTW – Happy Holidays to you and your entire team at SportSpyder.
Joe maybe you can answer this then, how would the Mets go about affording Mark?
With the money they didn’t use to re-sign Jose Reyes. The money Alderson said would be re-invested in the roster. The money Alderson said on the our conference call – Reyes or no Reyes, we’re going to have the same payroll going into 2012.
Hmmm, don’t you think there is a big difference? Don’t you think that in terms of cash that Jose would have brought more of a return back to the Mets than a very hittable older mid-rotation starter? It also appears that once Reyes left the Mets decided to invest that money into the bullpen instead of starting rotation. Also you have to factor in the idea that they did check in on him but why do we think he would have even wanted to play for the Mets to start with? How much extra would they have had to pay him?
For those Met fans who are willing to part with their hard earned cash at Citifield (I am holding fast and haven’t been there for at least two seasons), please yell out loud and strong…SELL THIS TEAM! over and over. The Wilpons have not awoken and smelled the coffee. They must realize that they have to unload this team sooner or later. They are stubborn and refuse to see what is will ultimatley happen anyway.
But being it is THEIR possession don’t they have every right to hang onto it until it breaks them for the rest of their life if that is their choice?
My bad. I didn’t know you were related to them and in their will. I guess I’m the only one on this blog that thinks the Wilponzi’s should sell?
Only a communist would take something from a owner who is still able to pay their bills. Are you a communist?
You and Nostradamus. His street cred is a bit better but he’s dead.
Why would the Mets make any of these moves when Sandy is clearly trying to destroy the franchise?
Thanks. You’re making my point for me. The Mets only good move this off-season is, they took the black off of the the uniforms. I guess Selig making the Dodgers owner sell makes him communist too? SELL, SELL, SELL!
sadly, Salty’s sarcasm font was not showing up today.
MLB stepped in on the Dodgers because they were funneling money out of the team for other non baseball related purposes. Selig can’t take the team over just because Wilpon is an ass. Boycotting can work, I’ve technically been doing it since they axed Willie (I’ve seen the Mets in other stadiums just not home since then) so I am on the same page with you. I am not going to drive from NH and give them a dime of my money right now, but they can still pay their bills so they cannot be forced out yet.
I would be shocked if they are still holding on by year end.
“But once you walk in and look around you can see exactly what’s going on in the inside – empty shelves and no customers buying.”
For whatever reason the nursery rhyme of “Old Mother Hubbard” comes to mind.
Off topic- But, the slashing continues. Acc. to Mike Puma of the Post, the Mets are likely to eliminate 1 of their rookie SS teams in Kingsport in a cost saving move which is a disgrace. Rubin also heard they don’t employ a Pacific Rim scout any longer.
Can’t remember if this was the Mets, but I know I read someplace not long ago (maybe last off season) that there were only a few teams that still had 2 rookie level clubs? or something along those lines.
Not saying it isn’t simply to cut costs, but is it a case of trimming some “fat” (IOW a luxury item), or is it really eliminating something that other teams don’t have anyway?
As to scouts, no, not good cutting them.
Hey Sach, did you get my email a couple of days ago? Can you email me at GetMetsmerized@aol.com?
Guys like Beuhrle, from a roster standpoint, are not just about the $ this year. Probably just as much about tying them up for 3-5 years to come, when they really have no clue what the hell will be going on by 2013.
Just another negative aspect of the financial black cloud hanging over the club.
I know he’s not a young hurler, but according to MLBTR, Roy Oswalt is willing to take a 1-year deal….
“The right-hander wants to prove that his back is healthy and re-enter the market a year from now in search of multiyear security.”
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/12/oswalt-seeks-one-year-deal-interest-picks-up.html
Can’t see why the Mets not take a chance on him for one year with incentives. If Santana doesn’t return in time to start the season, at least you’ll have a starter worthy to be dubbed an “ace” in the rotation, unlike last season. You listening, Sandy?
We’re not going after these young pitchers thanks to Alderson. This guy needed his friend Bud Selig to get him a job as a general manager and it’s reasons like this. He’s a horrible GM.