In all the drama, the peaks and valleys throughout this season, most of us have forgotten about Mike Pelfrey, and the fact that he is entering his final year of arbitration coming off Tommy John Surgery. We’ve seen the roller coaster career of Pelfrey, and now it has reached the point where his time with the Mets is in severe jeopardy, and rightfully so.
Pelfrey is making $5.68 million for a season in which he made three starts. Now this winter, the Amazin’s have to decide whether to commit to Big Pelf for one more season, or non-tender him and let the 2005 first-round draft pick walk as a free agent.
Frankly, it is time the Mets bite the bullet and chose the latter. He has yet to become a successful MLB pitcher for the Mets like he was supposed to be when they drafted him out of college now seven years ago, and paying him like a major league starter is not wise. Now with not only questions about his performance prior to the surgery, but his health and abilities post-op, a six million dollar gamble is not something that this team can afford to do, especially with all the holes on this roster as is.
Plus, there isn’t a need for Pelfrey on this ballclub anymore. Next year, Johan Santana and R.A. Dickey will head a rotation with young talent like Jon NIese, Matt Harvey, and Dillon Gee, not to mention the fact that Zack Wheeler is on his way. Yes, you can never have enough pitching, but that $6 million –assuming it would be re-invested, and that’ a big if– could be used for a right handed bat in the outfield not named Jason Bay, or some bullpen help, or an upgrade at catching.
This team has so many more immediate needs than to negotiate with Scott Boras and Mike Pelfrey, especially with him coming off a major procedure like Tommy John surgery. We always knew that Pelfrey was not long for this club based on his performance. Eventually, we knew there was going to be a time in which he and the Mets were going to have to part ways, and it appears that that time is this winter come the arbitration deadline.
