Hi, my name is Connor O’Brien, the newest member of the staff here at The Real Dirty Mets Blog. I will be contributing here at least once a week. I’m 14, but I like to think that I really know my Mets. I went to a few playoff games in ’06, and have watched countless hours of Mets basbeball on TV. I hope you enjoy what I have to offer.
Yesterday afternoon, GM Sandy Alderson confirmed the Mets’ signing of veteran right-hander Chris Young to a minor league contract. He will provide added depth to a team that lacks it– especially in the starting rotation.
ESPN New York writer Adam Rubin brought up something that we were all thinking when this signing went down:
Alderson said Young is “unlikely” to be considered as anything but a starter. The Mets, like any team, figure to go through more than five pitchers in the rotation during the season. So Young, as well as prospects such as Matt Harvey and Jeurys Familia, would be candidates for a second-half role if ready. By then, Mike Pelfrey could be on the trading block if the Mets have faded, too.
Young is definitely a starter, but the last time I checked the rotation went– 1. Santana, 2. Dickey, 3. Niese, 4. Pelfrey, 5. Gee– so that means if Young were to step in, someone would have to go. That someone, without a doubt, would be Mike Pelfrey. Pelfrey is the most inconsistent of the five starters, and one of the most overpaid. Plus, his contract is not guaranteed, which means that if the Mets were to cut him before the season, they would only be responsible for half of his $5.6 million salary this season.
Chris Young, a former All-Star, has definitely proven himself as an above-average starter over his eight-year major league career.
From 2005 through 2007, Young went 32-20 with a 3.60 ERA and a stellar 1.161 WHIP– proving himself as one of the game’s best up-and-coming starting pitchers. Since then, however, he has fallen off the map due to constant injury. But when you take into account the production Young has provided throughout his career, despite the injuries, most baseball fans would take Young over Mike Pelfrey any day of the week.
We have established now that Young, when healthy is a better pitcher than Mike Pelfrey, but it looks unlikely that Young will actually grab Mike’s spot in the rotation and hold it and there are two main reasons why.
The first reason is Chris Young’s health. As I mentioned earlier, the likelihood of Young completing a 30-start season again may be unlikely. It’s possible, but it’s unlikely.
The second, and in my opinion, the most important one to the Mets, is the timing. Mike Pelfrey’s contract isn’t guaranteed. They could release him before Opening Day and save money. They would only do that, though, if they thought they had an able and ready starter to step in and pitch those 180-190 innings. Even if Chris Young could hold up through
September, the odds of him getting back to the mound, ready to pitch when his first turn comes around April 9 or 10 are very, very slim and the Mets know that. They aren’t going to release Mike Pelfrey because of this uncertainty.. The one thing Pelfrey does provide is innings and if the Mets don’t know for a fact that those are going to be filled, nobody’s going anywhere.
(Full disclosure: I’m not the biggest fan of Mike Pelfrey)
It’s a real shame that the Mets couldn’t get this deal done earlier with Chris Young. If they had, he may have been ready to pitch much, much earlier. Say what you will about the Mets training staff, but they would’ve prepared Young and gotten him out on the mound. This would have opened the door for releasing of Mike Pelfrey (which seems like the only way the Mets could get rid of Pelfrey because no one wants to trade for him). Sandy Alderson made a mistake in not signing Chris Young right out of the gate in Spring Training.
Even if the whole thing didn’t work out– at least there would have been a chance of removing Mike Pelfrey from his thrown., finally removing the pain in the side of most Mets fans, replacing it with possibly a more consistent, productive pitcher. It’s too bad it had to happen like this.
You can follow me on Twitter @UpAlongFirst. You can also E-Mail me with any questions or comments to connorobrien11 {at} yahoo {dot} com
28 comments
kingman 26
3/27/2012-10:26am at 10:26 am (UTC -4)
Welcome aboard Connor! Well-written and well thought out and for someone who says he is 14, really a very mature perspective.
I must respectfully say though, that Young has probably been working out very hard since he was able to last year and probably would have been ready at the same time, and that Alderson might have had to wait until Young’s financial demands became low enough for the Met budget.
Also, while I agree Young is very good when healthy, and looked really good last year, he did last just four games, and has been hurt every year since 2008.
They could never cut Pelfrey and replace him with someone who is quite likely to do just what he did last year—that is, look great for a few games then get hurt yet again.
Bad as Pelf has looked this spring, my wiser colleagues here have reminded me how little spring results often mean, and as painful as it may be to realize, Pelf is healthy–always; this may be his one really strong suit.
With our miniscule depth and zero financial resources, unless Pelf is pitching to a 6.00 ERA, he’s not going anywhere soon I am afraid.
saltygary
3/27/2012-10:55am at 10:55 am (UTC -4)
They were 4 great starts though!
kingman 26
3/27/2012-11:14am at 11:14 am (UTC -4)
Agreed!
Ceetar
3/27/2012-10:29am at 10:29 am (UTC -4)
Young never would’ve been ready to pitch earlier. He was/is recovering from surgery. And even so, they never would’ve released/not signed Mike Pelfrey for an injury risk like that. They would’ve started Gee in the minors for depth.
Young’s signing now is insurance to help keep the Mets from rushing Matt Harvey or Familia (The two ‘closest’ pitching studs) . If the Mets need a pitcher in July, they’d rather turn to a Veteran, regardless of standings. If the Mets are fighting for it, you don’t want to trust an unproven perhaps unready prospect into that in most cases, nor do you want to promote him too early if the Mets are way out of it. (Of course, if Harvey is 12-0 with a .089 ERA and 6gazillion Ks, he’s going to get promoted)
Young adds to the suspect depth of Batista, Hefner, Olsen and Schwinden. Cohoon and Carson and who knows who else could have a shot as well.
connoruaf
3/27/2012-10:51am at 10:51 am (UTC -4)
I guess it was very unlikely that Young would upseat Pelf. The health concern is a major risk. But I think that if they got him in camp earlier there was a slightly higher chance that he coulf be ready. Maybe they would have caught lightening in a bottle.
Probqbly not the best article ive written…
NJstuckinTX
3/27/2012-10:57am at 10:57 am (UTC -4)
Solid job, none the less. Looking forward to more.
saltygary
3/27/2012-10:59am at 10:59 am (UTC -4)
Connor if you want a avatar go to gravatar.com
kingman 26
3/27/2012-11:12am at 11:12 am (UTC -4)
Connor—The quality of your writing, the way you express yourself, and the overall tone of the article is FAR better than most of what appears all over the sports blogosphere on a daily basis—at THE largest Mets site, Metsblog, Matt Cerrone could not publish a piece as long as yours without multiple spelling, grammar, and factual errors if his life depended on it—you did a great job!
PS–TRS, not ONE unnecessary apostrophe–so it cannot be that hard…
TRS86
3/27/2012-11:31am at 11:31 am (UTC -4)
Hey there buddy, I think I have gotten much better at that. I used not pay attention to that at all. At least now if I am not in a hurry I take a peak.
kingman 26
3/27/2012-12:12pm at 12:12 pm (UTC -4)
I DID NOT mean YOU!
Sorry, that was not clear—I meant EVERYONE and just addressed you as you are our leader!
LOL!
Sorry about that!
kingman 26
3/27/2012-3:39pm at 3:39 pm (UTC -4)
A “peak”??
trs86
3/28/2012-8:28am at 8:28 am (UTC -4)
Dammit, LOL.
Stick
3/27/2012-12:55pm at 12:55 pm (UTC -4)
MC can’t write a headline without all of those problems.
NJstuckinTX
3/27/2012-10:32am at 10:32 am (UTC -4)
Welcome to the Party, Pal, to coin Die hard.
TRS86
3/27/2012-10:42am at 10:42 am (UTC -4)
Nice job Connor. I too think that Young has been working as hard as possible with the best possible guys to get himself ready. I am glad he chose the Mets but I see now way he could have been ready. Now if you say that the Mets could have went with an in house guy, released Pelfrey and hoped that Young would be ready, maybe but that would have been even more risky than trotting Pelfrey out. The real shame was they could not convince other starters like Young to come aboard.
saltygary
3/27/2012-10:58am at 10:58 am (UTC -4)
Welcome Connor, really interested in hearing insight from a fan only subjected to the 07-08 collapses and was able though youth escape the rest of the misery.
Always been a fan of Young’s ability and am fine with the signing. I just don’t feel he can stay healthy. If anything he has the determination and confidence, something that Pelfrey is sorely lacking.
LOL at “Full disclosure: I’m not the biggest fan of Mike Pelfrey”
wanny
3/27/2012-11:19am at 11:19 am (UTC -4)
Connor: I agree with Kingman that your writing is fantastic. Not just for your age but as compared to anyone in the blogging “industry.” I expect to see your byline in the NY Times someday (if it still exists when you graduate college!).
That said, I disagree that Young would have been a viable replacement for Pelfrey if he had been signed sooner. I highly doubt Young would be able to pitch Opening Day under any circumstance and his track record is such that you could not release a 200 IP guy like Pelfrey in favor of such an extreme injury risk.
I really don’t expect to see Young in a Mets uni this year.
MetsFan4Decades
3/27/2012-11:41am at 11:41 am (UTC -4)
Welcome aboard, Connor. Let me add my admiration for a very well though out article from someone as young as yourself. You’ve obviously got a bright future ahead of you.
I like the Young signing. If healthy mid season, adds needed depth as we’re extremely thin as far as SP is concerned.
Don’t believe though he would have been ready this soon. Shoulder surgery is very tricky, even if it’s arthroscopic and you’re not a pitcher. In fact, if he’s ready mid season he’s ahead of where Johan is. Now, Young’s surgery could have been less invasive than Santana’s – I don’t know – but I’ll be happy if he’s ready to go mid season.
MetsFan4Decades
3/27/2012-11:43am at 11:43 am (UTC -4)
Just a note for Real. You should consider yourself lucky you can’t get to that shoutbox at work. Bay-boy has so many complimentary things to say about you and me this morning. I refuse to even acknowledge them.
And thanks for the kind words, Salty.
kingman 26
3/27/2012-12:14pm at 12:14 pm (UTC -4)
Oh for f***’s sake, now I have to go see that train wreck AGAIN??
Thanks MF4D.
MetsFan4Decades
3/27/2012-12:18pm at 12:18 pm (UTC -4)
I’ve never seen a more angry Met fan in my life. This fool is actually rooting for the Mets to fail b/c his hate for this front office is that twisted.
He really ought to find a new hobby.
saltygary
3/27/2012-12:24pm at 12:24 pm (UTC -4)
Whenever I see the comment “Oh for f*** sake”, I always think of this sketch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG-Yu495x3Y&feature=BFa&list=PLD7BC90876DA9D997&lf=results_main
MetsFan4Decades
3/27/2012-3:03pm at 3:03 pm (UTC -4)
That’s hysterical.
saltygary
3/27/2012-12:22pm at 12:22 pm (UTC -4)
I wasn’t even trying to start anything. Was reading someone and saw them complaining again. Made one quick comment and he couldn’t take it. If he has a sense of humor he wouldn’t be so bad.
MetsFan4Decades
3/27/2012-2:56pm at 2:56 pm (UTC -4)
I asked him a long time ago – when he was complaining about the ‘clowning around on AA when we were losing last year’, what’s so bad about a sense of humor?
He told me it had no place in baseball.
Dude needs to lighten up.
trs86
3/27/2012-12:24pm at 12:24 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t even read them but I got a heads up that they were accusing me of going there to promote TRDM and went in to defend our honor. LOL.
Hazmet
3/27/2012-6:40pm at 6:40 pm (UTC -4)
Nice opening piece, looking forward to more. What I would do is use Pelfrey’s last option and send him to AAA. Yes, he does have an option left.
trs86
3/28/2012-8:27am at 8:27 am (UTC -4)
The only problem is right now they have no one to take his spot. I don’t think Schwin or Miggy are even as good as Pelfrey. That’s gotta stink for them