PELFREY: Will it ever happen for him?

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that the Mets would like to trade Mike Pelfrey:

Tough market. But rival exec says, “best thing for him might be to get out of New York.”

It’s time. Just do it. –  Joe D.

Original Post 3/23

Mike Pelfrey continues to tick me off. This time, it is hearing the news has been pitching with a high right ankle sprain during spring training. Pelfrey said he injured his ankle in the offseason and aggravated it the beginning of camp.

There are several ways to look at this, none of them good for the Mets:

  • If Pelfrey is injured, then he’s a complete idiot for not telling the Mets’ trainers and medical staff immediately. It is common knowledge in the sport that leg injuries often lead to arm injuries because it alters the pitcher’s mechanics and puts a strain on the arm. As a pitcher, how does Pelfrey, either not know this or chooses to ignore it? Just plain stupid. Pelfrey came to camp saying this could be a make or break season for him, so given that, why would he take such a risk? Just dumb.
  • These players get their ankles wrapped every day. How could a trainer miss this? There has to be tenderness, soreness, slight swelling or change in color.
  • What does pitching coach Dan Warthen have to say about this? Warthen told reporters the ankle is why Pelfrey has primarily pitched out of the stretch most of this spring and why his velocity was down. So, with that answer, Warthen is saying he sent Pelfrey out there knowing he had a bum ankle. That’s got to be a new level of stupid.

Still, it goes back to Pelfrey. It’s his ankle. It’s his career. He’s been around long enough to know what to do and hiding an injury always comes back to bite you. It’s proof he really doesn’t get it.

In 9.2 innings this season, Pelfrey has given up 18 runs on 20 hits and six walks. That stinks by any measure.

I read where sources close to the team suggested if Pelfrey were dealt he’d be great somewhere else. Sources close to the team DOES NOT mean affiliated with the team. Even if that is the Mets’ thinking, it shouldn’t be. That was the fear in releasing Oliver Perez, remember?

If Pelfrey does leave and develops it will be because of a change in the pitching coach and the light suddenly goes on.

Currently, Pelfrey is not pitching well enough to deserve a chance in the major league rotation. Sending him out there just to accumulate innings is not a good explanation. It’s the same thing as saying “we got to get this over with.’’ It is also an admission they have nobody else.

The Mets’ best hope with Pelfrey, as it was with Perez, for him to somehow turn it on. Given the remoteness of that happening, their next best option is to send him to the minors, have him heal and hopefully fix himself. Perhaps he can then come up, give the Mets a handful of quality starts to attract attention at the trade deadline.

As far as who would take his place? Sign a major league reject off the scrap heap or go with the Mets’ highest rated prospect. As far as going to a four-man rotation, there are enough off days in April for that to work, but it is uncertain how that might impact Johan Santana if he were to make the Opening Day roster.

Santana is another thing keeping Pelfrey around. The Mets don’t dare do anything until they are certain about Santana.