1
2012
It’s Been Nice Knowing You, Pelf
An article by 
Mike Pelfrey will undergo Tommy John surgery today in Alabama, a procedure that could mean the end of his nondescript career with the Mets.
The recovery period will take up to a year, which would eclipse the December date a team has to tender contracts. With Pelfrey to make $5.6 million this season for a handful of starts, the Mets will probably not tender a contract and allow him to become a free agent.
Yes, the Mets received positive news in the Ponzi scandal, but that doesn’t mean they will suddenly become frivolous. The Mets certainly won’t extend him at this time or go through the arbitration process.
If Pelfrey is to continue his career with the Mets, they’ll cut him loose, then attempt to re-sign him and start over at a lower figure.
Preventing the Mets from rolling the dice and keeping him is that Pelfrey never became the pitcher they envisioned. Pelfrey appeared to have a breakthrough season in 2010, but dramatically regressed last year. He’s lost more than he’s won, and his career has been marked by lapses in concentration (three balks in one game at San Francisco), a lack of developing his secondary pitches, and an inability to put away hitters and close out innings.
Yes, he’s lost close games and had bad luck, but aces are able to improvise and pitch through adversity. They find a way to win, something Pelfrey has been unable to do.
Maybe he’ll catch on somewhere else and develop into a solid starter. Maybe he’ll meet the expectations. But, he’s not shown much to compel the Mets to give him another opportunity to do it here.
About the Author: John Delcos
I am an active member of the BBWAA and have covered Major League Baseball in several capacities for over 20 years, including ten in New York working the Mets' and Yankees' beat. I covered the Baltimore Orioles for eight years and the Cleveland Indians before that. I currently serve as an editor and senior staff writer for Mets Merized Online. Follow me on Twitter @jdelcos.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 42 | 30 | .583 | - |
| Phillies | 35 | 37 | .486 | 7.0 |
| Nationals | 34 | 36 | .486 | 7.0 |
| Mets | 27 | 40 | .403 | 12.5 |
| Marlins | 22 | 48 | .314 | 19.0 |
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Wow 3 posts in 1 day? You’ve been rather busy today Mr. Delcos.
If I was young and a medical school student I would focus on becoming a surgeon that does nothing but Tommy John surgery. Boy I could become rich! This doctor in Alabama must be really something! After recovery there is a team for Big Pelf, just not our team. I wish him well.
And if I was a young lawyer, I’d become rich by taking everybody to court on behalf of Tommy John for using his name without authorization…..
and you would be a poor young lawyer! I sincerely doubt that Dr Andrews or any other surgeon uses the name Tommy John surgery on anything written or anything that denies Mr John any income…I’d bet the ranch on that!
Don’t you think that in this world of blood sucking, ambulance chasing and vampires who call themselves lawyers it would have been done already if possible?
Next!
Ah,
But notice that young pre-law/med student (remember Tim Matheson asked “what’s the dfference?”) did not limit himself to those in the medical profession? If nothing more, he can try suing the media for libel by associating his client with injury – Otter would! LOL
Pelfrey was really showing signs of commanding his pitches and the poise to work himself out of jams this month so it’s really a shame all this had to happen.
We can guess that part of his problem last season might have been in his mechanics of the year before, compensating for less dependency on his shoulder by placing more on his elbow and the effect it had in 2011. Understand the business aspect of all this and do hope the Mets and him can reach a new agreement for next spring. If Sandy has given so many chances to an older and more often injured Chris Young, he can certainly do the same for a much younger Mike. The amount of money needed to re-sign him would not put the Mets back in the frivolous mode.
Adios Pelf.
not a chance he is tendered.
really poor timing from his standpoint though (as it impacts his wallet!). Since at best, you are going to get a couple months of semi-rehab starts out of him, and he will spend 1/2 the season in real rehab, and at the end of the year he hits FA, no team is going to invest much.
so, really only 2 options I see if you want him:
sign a multi-year deal at a low base salary, with incentives for 2014+, and effectively “write off” 2013.
sign him to a MiL deal of some sort, let him rehab, and hope you get something out of him (basically what Young is doing now), knowing that he can walk at the end of the year, so that you may end up paying for his rehab for nothing.
I would suspect Sandy would certainly offer the 2nd, but other teams would too. No clue if a team really wants the first option, or even if Boras would go for it. If not, the risk to Pelf is he never makes it back and gets nothing else.
Oh yes , Pelf the inning eater..so how is Perpetual Pedro’s rehab going?