25
2012
Can’t You Picture This?
An article by 
So by now, everyone has heard the news that Mike Pelfrey will not be tendered this off-season. This allows him to freely seek employment with other teams. The day this was announced (Tuesday I believe), I happened to be listening to the Boomer and Carton Radio Show while I was driving in my car. Boomer said something that immediately resonated with me, and probably many other Mets fans that were listening at that time. He said (and I’m loosely quoting) “couldn’t you see Pelfrey signing with the Braves and winning 17 games.” It’s funny he said that, because as Mets fans, I feel like we are always afraid of being burned like that, and that was almost the first thought that popped into my mind.
Regardless of where he signs, the Mets did make the right decision with Pelfrey. Even with the advances in modern medicine these days, Tommy John surgery is still very serious. Nowadays, it seems like pitchers bounce right back from Tommy John, and may even come back stronger than before the surgery. The Mets just aren’t in a position to take a financial risk at this point. And regardless of the medical advances, it’s still considered a risk to sign someone fresh off of Tommy John surgery.
Pelfrey looked great at the beginning of 2012, so if the Mets are able to resign him at a discount, I would be all for it. There has been a lot of discussion about how promising our starting rotation looks at this point, and if there is even room for Pelfrey at this point. Let’s not forget, there are also still question marks as well. Can Santana make it through the season healthy? Will Gee come back and continue to build off of his 2012 season? Will Niese continue to progress? Will Harvey continue his meteoric rise to super stardom, or will he come back down to earth? Can a knuckleballer sustain the level of success Dickey experienced in 2012 across multiple campaigns?
Those are all very real questions facing the Mets this off-season. Right now, we are going to cross our fingers and hope that the answers to all those questions is yes. However, the reality of the matter is you can never have too much pitching. Having a lot of solid pitching in baseball is like having oil in the global economy – not everybody has it, but it is a necessity that everyone wants, and is willing to pay for it. Good pitching can fill the offensive holes in teams by holding the opposing teams to a minimal amount of runs, and leaving their team with less work to do. And the Mets sure do have a bunch of offensive holes, which means they either fill those holes with offensive players, or stockpile solid pitching.
The Mets should attempt to bring back Pelfrey in 2013, and I think they will. There are still a lot of question marks surrounding this pitching staff, so adding some insurance isn’t such a bad idea – albeit, a guy coming off Tommy John isn’t exactly insurance, but he could provide some bullpen help and also help out the starting rotation if one of the starting five have to visit the bullpen. That being said, I still wouldn’t be surprised to see Pelfrey sign with a different team, and end up winning 17 games.
By the way, is anyone else concerned that the most exciting news this off-season for Mets fans has been that the Mets have decided to bring back a blue and orange alternate jersey?
About the Author: Mitch Petanick
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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 |
Last updated: 06/19/2013
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I agree, separate this discussion from if you like the guy personally or not. A guy like Pelfrey as starter #6 like Young was signed to be last year is a great resource if you can get them for the right price. People also forget how the season started for him.
I can’t see it because I can’t see Pelfrey having the stuff or testicular fortitude to get him there.
Hard to say Salty that the 2010 Pelfrey didn’t have the stuff to get to 17 wins when he got to 15-9 with a 3.66 ERA for a bad Mets team.
I’m with Salty on this. In that last post I wrote this morning, I quoted Martno who said a player told him Pagan was soft. I dont agree with that, but Pelfrey to me IS soft. He’s always cracked under pressure. Last guy you ever want to see in a big spot. In 2010 he looked good, but it was his one shining moment in seven years. He has a career 1.46 WHIP and 4.36 ERA, that’s what we should be looking at, and the fact that at 29 he won’t be much better. And that doesn’t even consider the TJ surgery which will take a toll on an already mediocre career.
We aren’t looking for an Ace though Joe. Just a guy to use in an emergency. He’s not going to get big time money.
This is a guy who fell off the mound in the opening game at Citi because of nerves. He is not capable to perform if anything is on the line. He became so bad that they wanted to throw him in the pen but they new he couldn’t succeed there as well. I get the whole devil you know may be better then the one you don’t, but we know this guy will not improve the club. Use the dollars where they will have better impact.
Maybe we should have tendered him a contract and traded him to Pittsburg.
Isn’t that were all decent pitchers go to revive their career?
Small or large fortitude aside, it is a low risk signing. And I’d rather Pelf than Young as a 6th/7th starter.
Agreed. I rather have both of them wasting away in AAA for nearly nothing as insurance myself.
I am intrigued how a lot of Met fans are suddenly on the Pelfrey bandwagon. Did they forget that in 2011 he wass 7-13 with an ERA close to 5? Almost everyone in NY was ready to run Pelfy out of town and many were calling for Alderson’s head for tendering him. Alderson felt that you couldnt let a guy go who pitched 200 innings a year. Sadly, for the $6M they gave him in 2012, they got 19.2 IP.
Pelfrey might do well elsewhere. But it is a chance the Mets need to take. Letting him go is the only smart option. GMs are often criticized when they make that choice but it needs to be done. Anyone remember the upset at FMart? He was no better than when he was with the Mets this year for the Astros. Milwaukee let Sheets walk a couple of year ago only to see him win a total of 8 games over two years. It happens all the time.
The only way to win in this situations is to be the team to take a chance on him on the cheap. Spending big bucks hoping a player will return to form after a major injury is too risky. The odds are stacked against a team.
It’s because now we are talking about him in a bullpen and spot starter role versus a #2 or #3 guy in a rotation…big difference
Agreed, as a 6th or 7th starter who won’t even be ready when the season starts? Why the hell not?
don’t worry the Met front office, always dilligent when it comes to making false and disparaging remarks about ex-Mets and soon to be ex-mets will spew the BS about Pelfrey for years to come if he has good years. Too bad they don’t know how to win games like they know how to spew the venom toward these guys.
key point about tendering a guy like him a deal is control. If he had less service, so you could control him for a few more years, maybe. But, he is a FA at the end of 2013 anyway, so real good chance he rehabs on your time 9with whatever results), then when back to normal leaves as a FA anyway.
I don’t think the question is Pelfreys arm. It’s his head. Like Acosta, he has the stuff to win but not the smarts to put it together. I don’t think I would bring him back.
Truth of the matter is there isn’t anything wrong with Pelfrey that a good Pitching coach couldn’t fix…..
Yes he is a head case but heads can be fixed maybe even easier than fixing bad mechanics.
As for the TJ Surgery lets not get too worked up about it because some players actually gain break on thier breaking pitches after ungoing it.
TJ Surgery sure didn’t seem to hurt Strasburg now did it?
And he is a guy who relies heavily on Power.
Just to clarify the above….
They need to re-sign Pelfrey to a MiL contract…Can they? I tend to doubt it…
Pelfrey will most likely be with another team next year. In fact if I was his agent I would almost demand it. His career could take a huge turn on another team. Lohse was a head case and he seems to be revitalized. Lowe was possibly unstable and he picked up his career after leaving Boston. The point is he has good stuff and pitching is thin many teams will look into him and the Cards or the Twins are my favorite to sign him. However, I am not upset by this. I will be happy for Pelf if he can pull it together and have some good years. The Mets just lost on this one, it happens. Unfortunately it seems to happen alot to us with pitchers.
MAKE SOME MOVES!!!!!
*Send over Murphy and Hefner to Colorado for Chris Nelson (2b)/ and Ramon Hernandez (C) to back up Jaso…
-Nelson is gonna be a great hitter.. (is already) young has pop and hits for AVG with some speed..but total upgrade.. better fielder…
*Send Neise/Mejia/Duda to AZ for Upton(RF)
-locks up a 5 tool RF for next 4 years UPTON is a great move..
*Send over in a monster trade Ike Davis/Parnell/Nuienhuis/McHugh for Alex Gordon and Billy Butler..
*Send over Gee/Valdyspin to Seattle for Jaso (C) and Wilhelmsen (closer)
-Jaso is a young good catcher Seattle is deep there and Wilehmsen is a closer we need and Jaso is a great C
-they will need another SP so Gee slides in nice.
**Sign Grady Sizemore (LF/CF) no brainer here…he will get 2 yrs 5million .. $ its a steal he is 30yrs old and is auto upgrade with high level of potential coming back.. DO THIS PLEASE!! Resign Harriston as well and can swap in out as needed with nueihuis in the OF and bats off bench
*Sign Hisashi Iwakuma SP He is a great 3 SP or 4 and has #2 stuff .. he will be reasonable valued and could get for 3 yrs 20mil$ he never walks guys goes 6+ always and is steady as hell …
*Sign Gavin Floyd SP he is a great SP .. he will be less than he is gettin now which is 9mil a yr.. but the guy could ask for 7mil a year for 3 yrs… he is 6+ inning 6+ K guy each time out…
*Sign Mike adams for bullpen.. he is just so solid and sets up the pen for the season with young old mix we have
SP:RA Dickey
SP:Harvey
SP:Santana
SP:Iwakana
SP:FLoyd
**SP:With Wheeler/Familia knocking on the door when one goes down ….
RP:Whilhelsen/Edgerin/Rodrgiguez/Rauch/Carlson/Adams(Pelfrey perhaps as well)
1.Sizemore(CF)
2.Nelson(2B)
3.Wright (3B)
4.Butler(1b)
5.Upton (RF)
6.Gordon (LF)
7.Jaso (C)
8.Tejada (SS)
9. PITCHER
DO THIS !!!! lol Monster young team !!! love it sll under 30 with wright/sizemore like 31 and some older SP’s but with Familia and Wheeler on the way
Agree 100% about Sizemore
An also TRAID the Wilponzis.
Trade David Wrongz to Atlanta for Heywood and Pardo.
Then make Prado the 3b.
Also Trade Wehheler to Seattle for King Felix. Throw in Bay for Figgins to keep payroll low.
Also Traid TejAada to Miami for Reyes, Marlins are selling.
For LF I want Josh Hamilton – Mets Need power bat.
And wie also Need closer. Rafael Soriano can opt Out. Sign him and K-Krod as insurance.
Lol, yours is just as realistic.