If I could just repeat the most crucial part of this story a few times:
A minor league deal.
A MINOR league deal.
Not a major, but a minor league deal.
One last time, Josh Fogg is not on the big league team. He’s headed to the minors, and being paid pennies for it.
Just had to clarify that, as I’m already seeing backlash and jokes made about the Mets regarding this signing. In 24 appearances (including 1 start) for the Rockies last season, Fogg posted a 3.74 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. Fogg’s lifetime ERA, however, is 5.03 with a terrible WHIP of 1.458. But no worries, this is what we call having depth in the system. I’m sure the Mets have no plans of using Fogg as a starter for the Mets (or a reliever, most likely) – he’s here just in case the team undergoes a rash of injuries.
42 comments
DNDJohan aka kistics
1/29/2010-12:06pm at 12:06 pm (UTC -4)
So…. to reduces IFs.. huh….?
GravediggerHebner
1/29/2010-12:06pm at 12:06 pm (UTC -4)
No backlash from me. Fongy and I were discussing this yesterday and I thought (and IIRC he agreed) that signing Fogg to a MiL deal w/spring invite and him coming to camp and possibly winning the “long man/swing starter” role was a very realistic and not unsatisfactory thing.
DNDJohan aka kistics
1/29/2010-12:08pm at 12:08 pm (UTC -4)
Maybe.. Omar has this confused…. perhaps he’s thinking he’s the GM of the minor league team?
prismo
1/29/2010-12:10pm at 12:10 pm (UTC -4)
There were a lot of complaints last season about how terrible the Mets’ minor league squads were. The Wilpons and Omar promised they would try and make all the teams more competitive. I think so far they’ve done a great job with keeping their word.
DNDJohan aka kistics
1/29/2010-12:12pm at 12:12 pm (UTC -4)
Excellent point! Look under every rock and fill every holes!
stickguy
1/29/2010-12:18pm at 12:18 pm (UTC -4)
well, technically, he IS the GM of the minor league teams.
Kingman 26
1/29/2010-12:09pm at 12:09 pm (UTC -4)
Fine signing.
Fogg was consistently horrible as a starter for years, and much better as a reliever last year. Maybe he will be valuable pitching to just a few guys in the 6th or 7th.
Low cost, high reward, fine singing.
rustyjr
1/29/2010-12:10pm at 12:10 pm (UTC -4)
i like this deal – its better than having a ayala or a rincon or broadway anyday !
metsfan4decades
1/29/2010-12:12pm at 12:12 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t have a problem with this signing. I’ve said all along we don’t have enough SP depth. Better to see these minor league pitchers ready to jump in if starters go donw (as in the #’s from last year), then seeing the BP pitch 2 innings each b/c we don’t have anymore qualified starters…..
rustyjr
1/29/2010-12:15pm at 12:15 pm (UTC -4)
think he will break the training with the big club?
metsfan4decades
1/29/2010-12:17pm at 12:17 pm (UTC -4)
I’d say it’s a long shot – unless we’ve got a rash of injuries that happen in ST. But hey, I’d like nothing better than to see him pitch that well in ST so it’s a hard decision as to whether he gets a spot on the team.
rustyjr
1/29/2010-12:18pm at 12:18 pm (UTC -4)
so true
fongy2
1/29/2010-12:15pm at 12:15 pm (UTC -4)
This is what we’re reduced to. All happy we signed Josh Fogg
as insurance or maybe even with a chance to make the BP.
Me included! Jeez, talk about lowered expectations………
prismo
1/29/2010-12:16pm at 12:16 pm (UTC -4)
I’m always good with signing major league players to minor league deals. Even if they stink, it can’t hurt.
rustyjr
1/29/2010-12:18pm at 12:18 pm (UTC -4)
fongy you are the optimist today lol
fongy2
1/29/2010-12:23pm at 12:23 pm (UTC -4)
To quote Jules Winnfield,
“I’m Tryin’ REAL HARD!”
Kingman 26
1/29/2010-12:37pm at 12:37 pm (UTC -4)
I’m tryin REAL hard to be the shepherd, Ringo.
stickguy
1/29/2010-12:20pm at 12:20 pm (UTC -4)
that, and normally BPs will live and die with cheap arms like this.
If nothing else, you want as much depth as possible at AAA for the pen, so if the current guys burn out (from overuse) or flame out (from general suckitude), you call up the next wave of guys to replace them.
Something Omar neglected to do in 2008.
Kingman 26
1/29/2010-12:25pm at 12:25 pm (UTC -4)
Fogg switched to the pen last year and in 100 PA against RH batters had excellent stats.
Come on Fong, jeez, talk about whining over everything!
fongy2
1/29/2010-12:30pm at 12:30 pm (UTC -4)
I complain friend but never, ever whine!
Besides, I’m serious. I’m good with this signing.
I just wish Omar would bring in a handful more
of these types,including position player.
Maybe one of two make the team, at least out of
S.T., until Bel-Tron gets back.
Maybe we catch lightning,like with Jose Valentin.
Kingman 26
1/29/2010-12:38pm at 12:38 pm (UTC -4)
OK, I stand corrected!
I thought you were giving those of us in favor grief!
Sorry buddy!
And among the players I thought of here were also Valentin!
I agree, Fogg was a truly awful starter, but those numbers against RH bats last year were really surprisingly good.
fongy2
1/29/2010-12:47pm at 12:47 pm (UTC -4)
On the cheap, ya never know!
I do recall Fogg pitching a great
game in 2007 NLCS.
GravediggerHebner
1/29/2010-12:22pm at 12:22 pm (UTC -4)
Tick, tock, tick, tock…
How long before the FanGraphs post related to “The Contest” and the ESPN post and the MLBTR comments and the 47 Met blog posts all bash this as the latest foolishness and incompetence?
I think I need to shut off my computer for the balance of the day because I’m just not into it today. I was so enjoying going over hypothetical lineups.
fongy2
1/29/2010-12:24pm at 12:24 pm (UTC -4)
Hey Heb, Do you get The Journal News up where you are?
GravediggerHebner
1/29/2010-12:30pm at 12:30 pm (UTC -4)
No I’m north of their territory, I get the Times-Herald Record.
Geez, between Journal-News and Times-Herald Record, are there any “newspaper” words we’re missing?
fongy2
1/29/2010-12:32pm at 12:32 pm (UTC -4)
Ha,….maybe Examiner…or…Post….
Just curious b/c twice in the past couple weeks my nephew was on the front page of
the sports section.
GravediggerHebner
1/29/2010-12:58pm at 12:58 pm (UTC -4)
I will sincerely hope it was for hero, not goat reasons. But no I don’t get that paper so I haven’t seen him.
fongy2
1/29/2010-1:03pm at 1:03 pm (UTC -4)
Absolutely!…Winning
Shot, both times, H.S.
Basketball!
Jeez, time does fly!
stickguy
1/29/2010-1:12pm at 1:12 pm (UTC -4)
which HS? I grew up in the J-N coverage area.
fongy2
1/29/2010-1:17pm at 1:17 pm (UTC -4)
Carmel.
trs86
1/29/2010-12:42pm at 12:42 pm (UTC -4)
Good move.
Actually I think there is a good chance he makes it out of ST. Exactly what does Stokes offer that Fogg did not do last year as a reliever? Better ERA, WHIP by a mile, h/9, BB/9. For a minor league offer. Ability to be a long reliever or actually get LH and RH out. That would be a first.
trs86
1/29/2010-12:44pm at 12:44 pm (UTC -4)
This from MLBTR is just not true: Despite poor peripheral stats, Fogg managed to post a 3.74 ERA in 45.6 relief innings
His peripheral stats were good except for K’s. Low WHIP, walk rate, hit rate pitched decent to both sides.
fongy2
1/29/2010-12:49pm at 12:49 pm (UTC -4)
Like I said, ya never know.
Look at Chan Ho Park with the Phils last yr.
came back from the dead and was very impressive.
I think The Rangers are still muttering about
that.
stickguy
1/29/2010-1:20pm at 1:20 pm (UTC -4)
sounds like Darren oliver. He is regarded as a demi-dog now, but when they got him, he was pretty much a washed up failed starter Ithink. Reborn nicely as a long man.
and heck, maybe Fogg loearned something last year (like say, Piniero?) that could carry over into a starting role if needed. Can’t be worse than Lima time.
Man, wouldn’t that be a boost if he had a big spring, won the 5th starter job, and had a solid (garland-esque) year doing it? Actually, that’s what Redding was supposed to do last year!
trs86
1/29/2010-12:47pm at 12:47 pm (UTC -4)
Lets see
Krod, Escobar, Iragashi?sp, Feliciano, Green spots seem to be locked in now as I don’t think Green has options. Parnell most likely will be there. That leaves Misch, Everts, Dessens, Fogg, others to compete for one spot?
fongy2
1/29/2010-12:51pm at 12:51 pm (UTC -4)
Don’t count Escobar as an automatic yet.
He needs to actually pitch first.
It’s been a while.
fongy2
1/29/2010-12:52pm at 12:52 pm (UTC -4)
Sign Kevin Gregg!!!
stickguy
1/29/2010-1:15pm at 1:15 pm (UTC -4)
I agree. I think that gives them a very good set-up option and coveage for K rod. The rest of the options can be sifted through to fill out what could end up being a pretty good pen.
Load up on long men, and convince Jerry that they changed the rules to allow RPs to pitch to guys hitting from both sides of the plate, and that they can also pitch more than 1 inning at a time.
I like guys like Neive, and probably Fogg, and Escobar if he is healthy enough to pitch at all, since they should be OK with longer outings (say 2 innings) when needed. Much better than pitching 5 guys a game, 1 batter each.
fongy2
1/29/2010-1:18pm at 1:18 pm (UTC -4)
I still don’t understand having no interest
in Dotel or Myers.
stickguy
1/29/2010-1:21pm at 1:21 pm (UTC -4)
I was the only one it seems on the Myers bandwagon. Plenty of posts here from me calling for him.
For the price (3.5ish), he might be the steal of the off season.
fongy2
1/29/2010-1:29pm at 1:29 pm (UTC -4)
I agree completely!
I got alot of grief from my wife
(The Phillie fan)…Since I’ve
crushed Myers the past few yrs
since the abuse incident outside
of Fenway, BUT I was all for this
after it became apparent we weren’t
gonna get Lackey.
Myers returned quickly from his hip-op, has nasty stuff and is just flat out mean on the mound.
Has had success both as a top of
the rotaion Starter and as a Closer,even switching mid-stream
AND is still young.
wannybackstra
1/29/2010-4:46pm at 4:46 pm (UTC -4)
Fogg’s strong numbers as a reliever can be seen here:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?n1=foggjo01&year=Career&t=p#sprel
Could be a good guy in the middle innings. And as TRS said before, probably no worse than Stokes.