13
2012
Pelf, Offense Struggle in 7-1 Loss To The Cards
An article by 
This afternoon, Pelfrey struggled again and gave up 4 ER off 2 HR in 4.1 IP, and sent the Mets on their way to a 7-1 defeat.
Summary
It was a tough day for Mike Pelfrey, who started opposite Adam Wainwright. It is early in spring training, but a line of 4 ER, 2 HR, and 6 H in only about 4 innings is not encouraging.
I do not have a good feeling about Francisco, but we have got some time before the season starts, so I hope he proves me wrong. He and Ramirez looked a little off today, allowing the other 3 ER in 2 IP, with Ramirez allowing 2 of them. Francisco has now allowed a run in three straight outings.
Garrett Olson, Manny Acosta, and Bobby Parnell combined for 2.2 scoreless IP with 0 H and 2 BB, but Olson was the man on the mound when Tyler Greene stole home – the run was charged to Pelfrey. Keep an eye on Garrett Olson, he is a possible replacement for Tim Byrdak’s spot as a lefty.
The offense looked weak out there today – scoring their only run on a Duda sacrifice fly and mustering only 6 hits overall. 0-5 with RISP today. The only XBH came on a Bay 2B, his first XBH of the Spring. Daniel Murphy was the only Met with multiple hits, going 2-4 with a run scored.
Defense looked fine today – Satin turned a nice DP. Only error was on the catcher, May.
Goat Of The Game
It’s gotta be Pelfrey, who really needs to shape up out there and give us a reason to feel good about him.
Notes
Ruben Tejada was scheduled to start, but was scratched with a groin injury. See Craig’s post for how Collins feels about that. His backup, Cedeno, was also out with what I believe to have been knee pain.
Beltran went hitless against Pelfrey today and finished 1-4. Good to see him.
On Deck
Gee will start tomorrow against Max Scherzer of the Tigers in Lakeland. 1:05 start. Harvey was in line to replace him, but it looks like Gee will be starting tomorrow with Schwinden and Chuck James also scheduled to pitch.
About the Author: Satish Ram
I am a Senior Writer and Editor here at MetsMerized - where I specialize in Minor League coverage. I have been on the staff since 2007 and I am currently in my third semester of college in New York City. You can find me at www.facebook.com/SatishRam or @SilverHeatMMO. Feel free to message me - I love talking about the Mets or baseball overall with anybody.
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Can Pelfrey go the way Ollie and Castillo went last year? Have no confidence with this guy anymore. Would rather see Schwinden or someone else already hold spot until Harvey is ready.
Hey MetsTheory,
If it helps, Schwinden is scheduled to pitch tomorrow, lol.
Many people here were saying to trade Pelf or at least move him in a package but sandy instead gave Pelfrey a raise.
Yes Sandy made Pelf the fifth highest paid Met.
Two ways of looking at that:
1) Sandy avoided arbitration.
2) Being the fifth highest paid on this penny-pinching payroll doesn’t mean much.
You forgot the 3rd way to look at it
- A bad use of what little money the Mets had and that means A LOT. Not smart spending at all
Actually, it is about average for a back of the rotation guy with 6 years service time. Which is what Pelfrey is.
Pelf eats innings. In Lower Slobovian, this is translated as Pelf loses many games.
He sucks.
lmao, that’s too funny.
In Soviet Russia, innings eat you!
Not fealing the love for this years Frankie.
Hey anyone can have a bad outing! (my feeble attempt at sarcasm).
SO 4 1/3 2HRs and three runs scored…Mike is in mid season form already! But it’s the same old story, feel behind the count early, came back with pitches down the middle that got hammered, sinker didn’t sink, everything was straight…hitters looked very conferrable.
This is the first time we’ve seen Francisco and Ramirez in ST, I’m hoping that they are the types that just go through the motions in spring and can’t turn it on until actual games start.
Not that Bay has looked good or even looked good today, but he is swinging better the past couple games I’ve seen him, by swinging better, I mean he’s now making contact…hopefully it’s a positive trend.
I was happy with what I saw from Duda in the field today, he’ll never be anything more than a hitter who can’t field…but he he made a nice read on a hard line drive that was hooking very sharply…and scooped a nice short hop. I don’t expect him to even win a gold glove or even have better than average range, but as long as he makes decent reads and doesn’t make singles into triples, I’ll be happy.
All kidding aside, was Pelfrey working on certain pitches that gave him problems last season or experimenting with new ones? Spring training is the only opportunity that affords such options under game conditions.
A good stretch in St. Lucie would do wonders for his confidence but that might require working on the negative first.
Hey Joey,
To my knowledge, he’s still working on the sinker which has a newer grip than what he is used to, and he has scrapped the splitter for a basic change-up.
I don’t know how much of it is him testing out the pitches and how much is the inability to pitch effectively.
Thanks for pointing those things out, Satish.
He’s experimenting, not just tuning up.
Sure, I can buy into the “experimenting” excuse to an extent…but wasn’t he experimenting with different grips all winter? Shouldn’t he have his “best” pitch figured out by now? Shouldn’t have an idea of which grip is working, or at least have it narrowed down to just a couple?
He should have enough bull pen sessions under his belt under the watchful eyes of the pitching coaches and catchers that he should have an idea of what grip has the best chance of working.
He’s been pitching in the bigs for six years, he shouldn’t be so far off from having his best pitch being effective. If he spends all spring working on his sinker, when will he find a chance to work on his secondary pitches? It’s not like he’s got a solid change and or slider/curve already figured out that he can rely on.
The sad facts are, he still can’t fool anyone with his sinker, he can’t beat anyone with his fast ball, his fast ball has little movement, he can’t decide if he throws a changeup or splitter, or a slider or cutter or if he should throw a curve. He’s still nibbling the corners and leaving his fastballs high and right down the heart of the plate.
Sure, you shouldn’t look at the box score and judge results, but you can still see what he’s doing on the mound and see that it’s not working and he’s far from being anything more than a 5th starter.
I fully expect that this is his last year here (if he even finishes it out). Bringing him back was a calculated risk, based on a few factors. A big one was, no prospect projecting to be ready out of ST (if say Harvey had dominated AA and gotten a cup of coffee in September, then it could have been different.) plus, based on the off season spending, there also wasn’t anyone really good showing up, certainly not for what Pelf was getting paid. And though some wanted him traded, what were you really going to get for him that would help at the ML level?
so put that together with the real possibility that the replacement would have been out of the Batista bunch of filler, and Pelf actually looks like the best option for 1 year.
None of us have any idea what the FO discussion was, or if they had any discussions to gauge trade interest. Or maybe they never considered it past the spit balling stage. And if they had pulled it off, I would have been fine with it, (Hell, I was hoping for a lot more wheeling and dealing this off season), but I can see why they brought him back for 1 more year. And would have no problem if they ended up shipping him off in a trade mid year!
It seems ALL his pitches gave him problems last year.
“It was a tough day for Mike Pelfrey”…I disagree. It was an average day for Mile Pelfrey.
Mike*
Is it me or has Pelfrey lost four to five mph off his fastball the past couple of years? I’m not crazy right? He has lost some serious velocity. Also why not toss him in the pen and give Harvey a chance to win his rotation spot.
I dont think I can take another year f dealing with Pelfrey. I’m starting to feel the same way as I did with Ollie. Just looking at him makes me feel like the game is lost.
[...] An article by Satish Ram 19 Comments [...]
My wife is not a Pelfrey fan, either. She just said she “doesn’t like the way he looks, the way he pitches and anything about him”.
This….. coming from one whose knowledge of baseball when we first started dating was wanting to leave because the Yankees were beating the Brewers 7-0 in the eighth despite Catfish Hunter taking a no-hitter into that inning!
Mike, I don’t think things can get any lower for ya!
pretty much tells you what you need to know!
but for sure, he never really inspired confidence taking the mound, particularly in a big game. There is a reason I referred to him as “the big doofus” most of last year.
He was waorking on his tape measure home run pitches today.Mission accomplished!!!
Sandy should keep Pelfrey this year, then trade him at the end of the season after his value goes up after having a very good comeback season.
I delved deep into the world of advanced stats and discovered one indisputable fact – Mike pitched great in even numbered years (2008, 2010) and bad in odd numbered years (2009, 2011).
That type of evidence should not be taken lightly…
I so wish there was a like button in this thing! hahaha great comment!
We did have a like and thumbs up system.
It got abused.
This is why we can’t have nice things, Mark.
That is why.
Ya, the even number thing has been brought up before. He’s like Star Trek movies.
[...] An article by Satish Ram 19 Comments [...]
Hey Satish my good friend, hope you are well.. nice recap.. Pelfrey sucks.. the end!
Alex, Brother, very zen-like.
I concur!
Russeeellllllllllllllllllllllllll…
Something to keep in mind… I think. For guys like Pelfrey there is a cut off date where the Mets would be able to release him with very little owed during the spring. The Duaner Sanchez rule. I wonder, if there is a slight chance that a guy like Garland gets released due to the new 100K rule and the Mets release Pelfrey to save the cash?
When it comes to saving cash, nothing this team does this year in that area would surprise me.
And as far as letting Pelfrey go for a Garland type, we already have the worst starting rotation in the NL east this year so even with Pelfrey gone, not like we’re gonna change that standing.
I just wonder if with another stinker if Sandy will start doing some cost analysis. Would trading or releasing Pelfrey and spending the money on other new available SP and OF depth be a better use of the money.
I just wonder if with another stinker if Sandy will start doing some cost analysis”
Ohhh, so NOW you want sandy to reconsider? instead of DURING negotiation where he actually gave him a raised? hmmmm. very interesting..
Not sure if you understand how arbitration works. If they had gone to arbitration, under the rules Pelfrey gets a raise and it might have been more than he got without going to arbitration.
If the Mets offered less than he made last year, for sure he takes it to arbitration.
Not sure how any of that is on the GM.
Of course there was the choice to just non tender him.
Based on my interpretation unless the contract is guaranteed then they can still release him before the regular season with only termination pay? Basically the Duaner Sanchez rule.
Can anyone verify this?
SRT i am WELL AWARE how arbitration rules, but if i am alderson, i go to arbitration,i don’t just give the guy a raised based on performanced!!! he sucked last year… once alderson presented HIS case by just saying he sucked, don’t deserve more but less .. or traded, or released, or let go etc… but, i am sure sandy knows more than EVERYONE who has seen this guy pitch, therefore we should TRUST HIM instead of our own guys, or all executives in baseball…
teams very rarely go to arbitration with any player. Just not worth the risk, and potential damage done having to go in and trash your own player.
so he got a little more money than they might have gotten away with. Or less, depending on how good his agent (Boras?) was at arguing. And overall, he is paid about what a veteran that does what he does gets on the open market. 30 starts of league average #4 pitching actually costs a fair amount of money.
I can see the case for letting him go.
Just don’t see how we get around paying him more or less what we did since they didn’t release him.
Here’s the problem with your idea. Pelfrey’s already a mental mess right? So you want to go to arbitration with him and argue over what amounts to be around 1M and in the process tell him how bad he sucks and how he should only get blah blah blah. Is it really worth it when they could just meet him in the middle and then hope he turns it around and if not then trade or release him.
Again, unless someone can prove me wrong his contract is not guaranteed and he can be released for termination pay. Thus what was the real harm in the contract?
Sadly, Pelf is going the way of John Maine…he’s a likable guy who has put up some great games pitching with the Mets…. unfortunately, he lacks good secondary pitches, his fastball is getting slower, he doesn’t miss bats and has to work very hard to get past the 5th inning.
The only difference is, Maine has an injury to blame his problems on, Pelf just has a lack of a pair.
I hated the fact that we had to move on from Maine, but it was the right call…it’s time to do the same with Pelf.
As much as I hope you are wrong, I think you’re right. Wasn’t it summer of ’08 or 10 when Pelf was totally lights out? If only that Pelf could show up again…probably not
Pelf is the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. “If he only had a brain!”
I’m so glad we went out and got all that Bullpen help this year that can hold the opposition to a 6 run lead late in the game aren’t you?
Makes a ton of sense to spend all your rationed money on a sitation that may never occurr doesn’t it?
LOL