Mets Merized Online

Jenrry Mejia has been very impressive so far this spring. The twenty year old phenom threw 2 and 1/3 perfect innings for the Mets on Friday in their 4-3 loss to the Marlins. Mejia showed dominating stuff while striking out four.

Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that Jerry Manuel said the following when asked about Mejia’s chances of making the opening day roster,

“If we continue to see that, we’ll have to have some strong conversations.”

Although Mejia has so far proved this spring that he can get big league hitters out, the Mets would be making a huge mistake bringing him up north to start the season.

If Mejia was to make the opening day roster, it would most certainly be in a bullpen role. Darryl Strawberry may see Jenrry as the next Mariano Rivera, but I don’t. I see a guy who has the potential to be a front line starting pitcher. The Mets could seriously stunt Mejia’s growth as a starter, if they were to have him pitch 2010 out of the bullpen for the big league club. (The Yankees rolled the dice and lost when they tried that with Joba.)

The Mets have many relievers in camp who could step up to take the set-up role including newly acquired Ryota Igarashi, Kiko Calero, and Kelvim Escobar. So why stunt Mejia’s growth by using him out of the bullpen? Why sacrifice a potential ace who could anchor the Mets’ staff for the next decade for a very good reliever who may never be able to start again? It just doesn’t make sense.

Let Mejia spend all of 2010 as a starting pitcher in the minors. Then in 2011 spring training we can all get excited as Mejia competes for a starting rotation spot. It has been a while since I have gotten this excited about a Mets’ pitching prospect, and I hope the Mets do the right thing so that we can eventually use him to his full potential.

Competition is a good thing, and in Mets camp there is a lot of it. Many players have entered Mets camp this year hopeful they can win a job with the big league club. Let’s break down this completion position by position and name the favorites.

Center Field - Carlos Beltran’s injury leaves a void in center field. The Mets acquired Gary Mathews Jr. to compete with Angel Pagan for the opening day center field gig. Pagan did a nice job filling in last year for Beltran when he batted .306 in 88 games. Pagan has his flaws though, many question his decision making and his intelligence on the base paths and in the field as well as his ability to stay healthy. Pagan is very talented and Matthews is going to have a hard time trying to pry the starting job away from him.

Favorite - Angel Pagan

Dark Horse – Fernando Martinez

Fifth Starter - The Mets did not acquire a big name starting pitcher this winter, leaving an open competition for the fifth starter’s job. Jon Niese, Fernando Nieve, Nelson Figueroa, Hisanori Takahashi, and R.A. Dickey are all names that should be considered for that final rotation spot. The Mets doubted that Niese would be healed from off-season surgery, but he has proven his health. Nelson Figueroa and Fernando Nieve proved useful to the Mets last season, and are hoping to break camp as the fifth starter.

Favorite - Jon Niese

Dark Horse - Hisanori Takahashi

Set-up Man – The Mets acquired Japanese import, Ryota Igarashi to compete for the eighth inning role with former Angel, Kelvim Escobar. Escobar pitched in only one game last year after missing all of 2008. Escobar is most known as a starter for the Angels, but was an effective reliever in the past for the Blue Jays. Early word is that Igarashi has impressed Mets’ coaches. Bobby Parnell is also an interesting name in consideration for this role.

Favorite – Ryota Igarashi

Dark Horse – Bobby Parnell

Final Bench Spot – With Alex Cora, Henry Blanco, Fernando Tatis, and Matthews/Pagan guaranteed to make the bench, that leaves one spot open assuming the Mets go with a five man bench. Mike Jacobs, Frank Catalanotto, Chris Carter, and Anderson Hernandez are likely to compete for this spot. It’s believed the Mets want this bench spot to be occupied by someone who can potentially enter a platoon with Daniel Murphy at first base, so that knocks Hernandez out of consideration. Jacobs is a power hitter, who just two years ago hit 32 homeruns for the Marlins. Catalanotto is known for being a clubhouse leader. Catalanotto has a slight edge over Jacobs because of his ability to play first base as well as outfield.

Favorite – Frank Catalanotto

Dark Horse – Chris Carter

Ken Rosenthal and John Morosi wrote yesterday for FoxSports.com, that the Mets are out of money. This comes after Buster Onley of ESPN made a similar claim. I do think the Mets may not have had as much money to spend this off season as they did in the past, but I’m not buying that they are suddenly “out of money”.

The Mets have are set to pay newly acquired Jason Bay eight million dollars in 2010. Some may say that Bay’s back loaded contract is proof that the Mets are out of funds or, as I tend to believe, it could have meant that the Mets felt they would be able to swing another big move or two but failed to do so.

The Mets are also said to have had offers out to both Bengie Molina and Joel Pineiro. Both signed elsewhere, but the Mets did have offers on the table according to many people inside baseball. My math tells me that the Mets had to have had more than ten to twelve million dollars on the table to those two players in order to have been in the running. Molina signed with the Giants because the Mets stood firm on a one year deal, while Pineiro got tired of waiting for the Mets to improve their offer and signed with the Angels.

The money that was offered to these two unsigned players could not have just vanished. I believe that after losing out on coveted players, Omar Minaya found it unwise to overpay for players he did not particularly care for. I am in no way standing up for Minaya, because this was a time for him to get creative and improve his team. But I am just not buying the reports the Mets are out of money, and neither should you.

In the wake of the Angels signing Joel Pineiro to a two year deal, and Doug Davis inking a contract with the Brewers, it is probably a good time to look to the remaining free agent pitchers and determine who is the best fit for the Mets.

The biggest name left on the market is Ben Sheets. But is he the best fit for the Mets?

Sheets last pitched in 2008 when he won 13 games and posted an ERA of 3.09. He has been considered a top notch pitcher for most of his career, a career that has been ravaged by injuries. The Mets are coming off a season that was dominated by injuries. This has to make you wonder if it is smart for the Mets to guarantee over seven million dollars to an injury prone starter. The same can be said for Eric Bedard who has only made 15 starts in each of the last two seasons.

Jarrod Washburn is a decent pitcher, who is left on the market. Washburn posted a 3.74 ERA in a season split between the Mariners and Tigers. Washburn is an average pitcher, who may not even be interested in pitching on the east coast from what I hear. He is also said to have rejected a one year deal from the Twins in the five to six million range. I’m not sure he’s worth much more than that, especially if he doesn’t even want to pitch in New York.

John Smoltz is another interesting option. Smoltz has spent most of his career on the Atlanta Braves, one of the Mets’ biggest rivals. Smoltz struggled after signing with the Red Sox, posting an 8.32 ERA in eight starts. After being released from Boston, Smoltz signed with the Cardinals. With the Cardinals he posted a 4.26 ERA in seven starts. I think Smoltz is an interesting option for the Mets, but more as a bullpen option. Smoltz is more of a bullpen arm at this point of his career, and if disaster strikes, it wouldn’t be all lost if Smoltz made a few starts for the Mets. I think he would be a wise signing for the Mets, but not if he is the their major pitching addition.

That leaves who I think should be the primary pitching target for the Mets at this point, Jon Garland. Garland is in no way a big, flashy name like Ben Sheets. But Garland is as durable and reliable as they come. Garland has made 32 starts in each of the last nine seasons, that is pretty impressive. Garland is also a fly ball pitcher, who would likely benefit from spacious Citi Field. Another factor, that plays in Garland’s favor is that he pitched most of his career, with the exception of 2009, in the tougher American League. Considering those two factors, I’d bet money that he would post an ERA much lower than his career ERA of 4.42, if pitching for the Mets.

It remains to be seen what the Mets strategy for pitching is, as we have watched pitcher after pitcher sign. All we can do as fans, is hope that something is cooking, and that they are working as hard as they can to improve the pitching staff.

Henry Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle (hat tip to mlbtraderumors) tweeted that Noah Lowry could be close to choosing which team to play for in 2010.

Lowry hasn’t pitched since 2007 when he won 14 games and posted an ERA of 3.92, due to thoracic outlet syndrome, which was originally misdiagnosed by the Giants.

Lowry is interesting because I find it almost impossible that he could be asking for a guaranteed deal after missing two full seasons.  He would be an interesting pitcher to invite to spring training on an incentive based deal. He could compete with John Maine and Oliver Perez for a back end spot in the rotation.

Lowry should in no way be the Mets’ biggest addition to the starting rotation, but he gives them more options to choose from.

Lowry has been connected to multiple teams including Mariners, Dodgers, A’s, Red, and Padres. Lowry has an ERA of 4.03 for his career.

Ben Sheets hit 91mph in his showcase workout yesterday in Louisiana.  According to  MetsBlog, the Mets had a representative in attendance among the 20 or so scouts and reps on hand. Jon Heyman of SI.com said that he talked to a couple of scouts who were very impressed and felt they were watching ‘the old Ben Sheets.

All along, I have felt that Ben Sheets could be the key to the pitching market. Once teams knew the condition he was in, they would start to make moves on the starting pitching front. Teams didn’t want to overbid for Pineiro, when Ben Sheets could be an ace in the hole.

Now that the Mets have missed out on Bengie Molina, many including SI’s Jon Heyman, believe that the Mets will turn their focus toward pitching. The Mets are thought to be interested in Ben Sheets, Joel Pineiro, and John Smoltz.

SI.com’s Jon Heyman also thinks the Mets will try to make some “positive” news after missing out on Molina and after the whole Carlos Beltran fiasco.

The Mets, Cubs, and Rangers are thought to be the favorites to sign Ben Sheets, who did not pitch in 2009. Sheets is thought by most, of being capable of getting a Brad Penny Type deal (one year deal worth seven to eight million, with tons of incentives) Although, the Rangers are listed as a favorite, I cannot see why the Rangers would have interest. They already have signed the injury prone Rich Harden, and adding another injury prone, costly starter just doesn’t seem smart. So in the end, I believe it will come down to the Mets and Cubs in the Ben Sheets sweepstakes.

As for Pineiro, the Mets, Dodgers, and Angels are all said to be interested. Pineiro won 15 games and loss 12 with an earned run average of 3.49 in 2009.

As for Smoltz, the Mets are the only team that I have heard connected to him, but this may not be the case now that the pitching market is really starting to take shape.

The Mets have been connected to free agent pitcher Joel Pineiro since the beginning of the off season. Pineiro is said to be Minaya’s top pitching target. It is believed that Pineiro is being pursued by the Dodgers and Angels as well.

Although Pineiro has at least three suitors, it remains to be seen if any of these teams will meet his contract demands. Pineiro is said to be looking for a three or four year contract at roughly 15 million a season. That is an insane asking price for a pitcher who has been up and down his entire career.

I strongly believe that Pineiro’s success in 2009 was due mostly to the work of Cardinals pitching coach, Dave Duncan. Duncan, one of the better pitching coachs in the game, is known for his reclamation projects. Pineiro will not put up numbers anyway near the numbers he put up in 2009.

The Mets are better off just letting Pineiro sign elsewhere, and turning their attention toward the trade market. Cubs ace, Carlos Zambrano, is said to be on the block. The Reds are also said to be shopping both Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang. Either of those three starters are more passable as a number two starter than Pineiro. If the Mets fail to pull off a trade, they can focus on Jon Garland, or they can take a risk on Ben Sheets or Eric Bedard.

It remains to be seen how Minaya intends to improve the starting rotation, but lets hope he doesn’t fall into the same mistake as last year and give a multi-year contract to a pitcher with a career full of up and downs.

Pineiro was 15-12 with a 3.49 ERA in 2009, and has a record of 87-79 with an ERA of 4.39 for his career.

According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, the Mets have considered making an attempt to bring Pedro Martinez back to Flushing. Martinez is said to be looking for a deal similar to the deal Brad Penny got from from the Cardinals, a one year 7.5 million dollar deal.

Pedro has said his first choice before signing with the Phillies last year, was to sign with the Mets. So we know Pedro would be open to a return. Martinez is also better than most of the free agent options still open to the Mets.

Pedro said he wants to pitch a full season, but I am not so sure his body will hold up for a full season. Its a risk especially at 7.5 million, but after watching John Lackey, Randy Wolf, and Jason Marquis sign, I think it is a chance the Mets should take. Of all the other risky pitchers out there, like Ben Sheets, Chien-Ming Wang, and Eric Bedard, I think Pedro may have the best chance of making over 25 starts.

If the Mets do opt to sign Martinez, I think they need to seriously consider also adding a consistent innings eater type starter like Jon Garland or Doug Davis.

Another thought, is the heat this would potentially add to the Mets rivalry with the Phillies. This would only serve to make the rivalry better.

Martinez was 5-1 with a 3.63 ERA in 9 starts for the Phillies in 2009.

He was 32-23 in 79 starts in four seasons for the Mets from 2006-2008.

Bengie Molina is still a free agent. Why? Because according to many reports, Molina is waiting for a three year contract offer.

Molina is going to be 36 in July, and has only one interested suitor, the Mets. The Giants have said they are not interested in bringing Molina back, the Nationals have signed Ivan Rodriguez, and the Royals signed Jason Kendall.

The Mets are said to have offered Molina a one year deal with a very obtainable vesting option. Meanwhile, the Mets also have interest in free agent catcher Rod Barajas. Molina has to realize he is not in a good negotiating position at all.

On the other hand, Molina has watched Ivan Rodriguez and Jason Kendall, two older veteran catchers, sign two year deals. So he may be justified in asking for a multi year contract. Hopefully the Mets are not desperate enough to give it to him.

In the case that Molina continues his ridiculous contract demands, the Mets can look to free agent catcher Rod Barajas. Barajas, 34, would most likely only require a one year commitment.

Molina batted .265 with 20 home runs and 80 RBIs in 2009

While, Barajas batted bated .226 with 19 home runs and 71 RBIs.

Finally, some hot stove activity on the Mets front as Mets.com is reporting that the Mets are close to a two-year deal with Japanese reliever Ryota Igarashi.

Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post says he talked to a Mets official who believes the team is going to sign Igarashi.

According to the NPB Tracker, his agent Arn Tellem was quoted as as saying,

“I think Igarashi is a member of the Mets. We’re working out the fine points of the contract.”

Although the deal is not official, there is still some major competition coming from the Red Sox who seem to have a history with Japanese players, so I don’t think the Mets signing of Igarashi is completely a done deal yet.

Igarashi is said to be capable of being a legitimate setup man in the majors. He is a power pitcher who features a mid 90s fastball.

I feel the Mets definitely need a reliever to handle the 8th inning, and to hand the ball off to Frankie Rodriguez, although it is unknown if Igarashi, a guy who has never pitched in the majors, can be that guy.

If the deal features a low annual salary (which many have reported it does), I think it would be a nice signing.

The 30 year old Igarashi was 3-2 with a 3.19 ERA in 56 games with the Yakult Swallows last season.