18
2013
Wheeler Will Not Go Down Without A Fight
An article by 
Most of you may have been listening when Terry Collins appeared on the YES Network with Mike Francesa last week, and laid down the gauntlet for top Mets pitching prospect Zack Wheeler when he was asked about his chances to make the Mets starting rotation out of camp.
“As we sit here today, no,” Collins told Francesa. “We have five starters. He needs to go down to Triple-A and pitch. If he wants to be on the staff, then he needs to go be the best pitcher in Triple-A. Wheeler needs to force us to call him up.”
That’s Terry Collins for you, a man who’s never one to mince words and always says exactly what’s on his mind.
However, the 22-year-old phenom didn’t seem to have a problem with what his manager said and in fact it seemed to fire him up.
“They’ve said they want me to start the season in Triple-A, but I’m going to make the decision hard on them,” Wheeler said.
“I’m going to go out there, compete and try my hardest. My whole offseason has been getting ready for this point, spring training,” Wheeler said. “I’m coming in and competing for a job at this point. In my mind, I think you’ve got to come in thinking like that.”
You’ve got to admire Wheeler’s tenacity and determination. Like Matt Harvey before him, Wheeler exudes confidence in himself and in his abilities. There’s no room for failure in their mindset, that’s not how either of them are built.
We’ve had other first round pitchers make their way to the Mets before in the last two decades – Mike Pelfrey being the latest example – but few of them, if any, came equipped with the swagger that these two possess.
It’s that swagger – that overflowing confidence – that has me excited about what the future holds for Wheeler and Harvey. The path moving forward for them is nicely paved and very bright, and that could only mean good things for the Mets in 2013 and beyond.
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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“They’ve said they want me to start the season in Triple-A, but I’m going to make the decision hard on them,” Wheeler said.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…………… Ok…. Ok…. I like it….. Now back it up,
Is this a positive post? I really can not tell..
Point being, don’t you like to see that hunger in guys? I want to see guys pumped up after they strike someone out to end the 8th in a close game, I would like to see our guys angry when they strike out, I want players that want to win, and have no problem showing their opponent that.
Kid clearly has the heart.
Gee shows he’s healthy trade for a nice young outfielder under control & stack our rotation.
Change Gee for Santana and you have yourself a deal.
The decision has been made regardless of what Mr. Wheeler believes…the decisions made not by baseball people, but by the CBA, and baseball economics 101. Wheeler belongs but because of Arbitration and Super 2 and the changes that weren’t addressed in the last negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA he won’t be up until June.
Also, with innings limits in place,
Go get ‘em, kid.
Fans will always have their personal favorites that they are drawn to more than other prospects as they watch these kids develop and come through the system. For me the 2 players I put in that group are Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Zack Wheeler. Ever since I started to focus more on Nieuwenhuis when he reached AA I just like the way Nieuwenhuis plays the game and believe in his potential.
Last season I listened to one of Wheeler’s games and it happened to be one in which he pitched what was one of the most dominant starts of the season. In listening to the broadcast I was left with this kid’s stuff may just be as good as advertised and ever since I have tracked his progress a bit closer than other prospects in the past. I expect that now that he is in his 1st Big League camp and some of his Spring Training starts will be televised on SNY fans will start to see for themselves what the talk of this kid is all about.
I’ve said this before but if this kid can remain healthy and can deliver on his potential. Watch out.
He still starts the season in AAA. April is light, you generally only need 4 starters. But most importantly, the Mets want another year before free agency.
Both Wheeler and D’Arnoud will be in the bigs by June 1, maybe sooner. Which starter goes? Who knows. Anyone seen a staff of 5 starters make it through a season without injury?
I only want to know one thing. Which one is Batman and which one is Robin? YGB LGM
Of Course Wheeler. i’d want to make it Hard for my team as well. 400k+ money is on the line here. I want to make more money quicker if I was a Super 2.
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I agree. The Mets have had their share pitchers in the past that have had the hype and all that but come time to pitch in MLB they flopped. These two exude this confidence and arrogance, not a bad thing, that I really like. This bodes well for the Mets I think in the very very near future. What I saw of Harvey last year I loved and I am hoping that Wheeler turns out the same or better.
Damn strait! Pelfrey, bless his heart, lacked the stones and self confidence to consistently produce or dominate in the majors.
It didn’t help being rushed to the bigs either.
I hope Wheeler makes it incredibly hard for them.
more power to him. All players should think this way. Prospects, and old stiffs like Marlon Byrd.
still, the odds of him breaking camp are about zero, but he does not have to think that way.
actually, there are 2 reasons. 1 is the control (aka $$) issue, which is certainly a biggie. But, he is also going to be on some innings limit (about 175 based on what he threw last season) so that is a lot easier to manage if they start him a little later in AAA.
as long as he makes the final tweaks needed between ST and AAA so that he is fully ready when he comes up to stay up, all will be good.
Actually, there is one difference for a guy like this in ST, and the “I am going to prove I belong” idea. ST is supposed to be a gradual ramp up, getting into game shape, etc. What you don’t want is a guy rushing things to try and make an impression, and say overthrowing early trying to show his stuff, and getting hurt because of it.
Love the attitude, but unless 2 or 3 starters go down in ST he will start in Vegas for financial reasons. His agent had a great quote a few weeks ago, albeit bias, saying something like “if the Mets have 5 better starters than Zack they’ll win the NL east”. Let’s hope he can live up close to expectation, and that Harvey can follow up his 2012 with similar effectiveness. Dare we think it may be fun again to be a Met fan? Nah, not yet, but hopefully soon.
Have to admire Wheeler for that. Yes, he showed maturity recognizing that as not being an afront but rather as a recognition that one has to earn their spot on the roster.
But Joe, it might be better to use a word other than “swagger” – didn’t help Willie Randolph when he tried to diffuse what many saw as arrogance as far as the team was concerned. It doesn’t seem to be the case with Zach.
But from what I’ve seen, he still needs time in triple-A to work further on his control problems associated with his secondary pitch so it’s not just a matter of the CBA agreement as most of us think does pertain to d’Arnaud.
Off Topic: If you have a Baseball America Account there is this.
2013 International Signings Overview
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/international-affairs/2013/2614708.html
Marlins top signing: $85,000. lol
I just saw that RandomGuy. Did you notice they happened to be the only team in that post with no six-figure signings?
Yea, there are some other pretty low teams compared to the bigger signings, but the marlins take the cake by far.
Obviously though it should be noted that this did occur in a year that they exploded in pro contract signings. Not sure that they are necessarily connected but it at least bears noting.
I hope he doesn’t try too hard during ST and risk injuring himself….
Because the truth is he could strike out every batter he faces in Spring Training and he will STILL get a plane Ticket to Sin City….MONEY trumps Baseball in Sandyland!
it is not a Sandy thing. Every team does this with guys in his situation. The business of baseball.
No a decision like that is a MONEY decision not a baseball decision…
If the guy pitches his way onto the team and yu send him down over a clock your are IGNORING the baseball for the MONEY….
No Metsie…..
When the team only has to hold him down about one month this year — and this ensures the team and the fans get his services for an additional year before he can declare free agency and walk, its called smart baseball and smart business. So, think again …..holding him down one month in a season where the team probably won’t be contending anyway guarantees his services for an additional year 5 or 6 years from now when the team most likely will be a dominant force in the NL East. Only an imbecile would have him break camp with team this April. You get it now?
“an additional year before he can declare free agency and walk”
You mean have to PAY HIM MONEY!
it’s a money decison not a baseball decision.
If it was a pure BASEBALL decision they would head north with the best 25 players they had, not leave two better guys in the Minors and take the 26th and 27th best players instead….
Your beef is with MLB, not the Mets. There isn’t a team in the league who doesn’t play the super 2 game.
And no, its not about money its about an extra year of control over the player.
And tell us WHY that extra year is important again?
Oh yeah thats right…THE PRICE!
THE MONEY!
No, wrong. The control. Why would you let a player get FA status a year early when keeping him in AAA for a few extra weeks gives you another year of control?
It would be dumb for a couple starts to give that away and the Core would be screaming for Alderson’s head if he did it.
It isn’t just the money though. Losing that year of control actually takes it out of your hands. He could choose to not sign with you regardless of the offer you make. So while I won’t pretend that money plays no part, the year of control plays at least an equal if not more of a substantial part.
And what does the CONTROL translate to?
You are forced to PAY HIM MORE TO KEEP HIM as opposed to having control and paying him LESS!
Sorry guys you can use all the euphemisms you want but CONTROL is about MONEY and PAYING LESS than you would if you LOSE CONTROL….
Cause now you have no option to keep him BUT money!
Sorry but merely changing the word MONEY for CONTROL is not cutting it….
Control is all about the price needed to pay to keep him….
Have control you pay him less….
Lose control you pay him more!
Control is nothing more than the year his price goes up!
Metsie if you have a guy for 6 years under contract instead of 7 years that 7th year you don’t hold the cards to if he signs or not. You could offer him the moon and he still might leave.
But your not really getting a 7th year are you….Just the extra HALF at the begining of his clock when you get right down to it….
And what is your only option after that time?
MONEY!
That 7th year you THINK you getting is costing you the FIRST year of performance for a kid that is ready to contribute….
Your gaining nothing but one more year before you have to show him the money!
Metsie…..
A. You seem to be under this illusion that willingness to offer a huge contract will ensure keeping a star player with the team. Doesn’t work that way. He can choose to take his services elsewhere. Keeping him down a few weeks this year ensures that he’s a Met another year!
and
B. When you go shopping for a high ticket item, do you look to pay more for that item or do you try to get the best deal you can? If you look to pay more than you’re the fool all salesman love. If your a wise consumer than you look for the best deal…right? So why would you expect less from baseball executives?
And Watchman you seem to be under the impression that leaving him down those two weeks STILL CONSTITUTES a year even though you didn’t have a full year did you?
If he is going to leave he is going to leave those extra Two weeks didn’t get you a full year….
So you have achived little to nothing but DELAYED the time you have to pay him more…
Delayed the year his ARB starts climbing and all that while STUNTING HIS GROWTH and wasting an MLB player on a MiL team….
“So you have achived little to nothing but DELAYED the time you have to pay him more…”
Exactly!!!!!!! Now your getting it. Delayed the time YOU have to pay him more AND delayed the time ANY team has to pay him more……why???? Because he can’t declare free agency and has to stay with you for another “whole” “entire” year. That’s why they all do it. ITS SMART BASEBALL MANAGEMENT! So glad you got it now.
And btw……the stunting his growth argument by keeping him down a few more weeks is just plain laughable.
And what pray tell do you pay him there Watchman?
Peanuts?
Corn Cobs?
Chicken Wings?
What are you deciding to DELAY when you make your decision?
MONEY!
It’s a MONEY decision not a BASEBALL decison!
Which is what I said from the beginning!
That’s great that he said that. But wouldn’t anybody not assured of a roster spot say the same thing — from Josh Edgin to Travis d’Arnaud to Brandon Hicks to Jeurys Familia to Anthony Recker? I don’t see anything particularly remarkable in Wheeler’s saying this.