The Mets need a starter with Mike Pelfrey done for the season. Now I know, as well as you do, that Sandy and Co. are going to use every option they have in the minor leagues to fill the spot. But you know as well as I do that all the kids down there are simply not ready.
So today’s question is not whether the Mets should go and either pick up a pitcher who has not been picked up by a team yet (such as a Roy Oswalt) or trade for one.
But will they? Will the Mets pull some trigger and pick up a pitcher and spend some money?
13 comments
saltygary
4/29/2012-8:54am at 8:54 am (UTC -4)
At this point Oswalt doesn’t make a lot of sense for either side unless the Mets just want to show they ar able to throw money around. I doubt he is ready yet and is probably on some kind of regimen where he will be ready after ASB.
There are trades available for the scrap heap pitchers stuck in AAA. Maybe a guy like Aaron Cook where the Sox have no room for him. The annual guys like Garland or Doug Davis can probably be had as well.
Bryan
4/29/2012-9:51am at 9:51 am (UTC -4)
Well they’re definitely going to give Chris Young a chance. The problem is waiting a little longer for him to be ready. They could also try out Mejia as a starter, which he was doing at the start of last year.
srt
4/29/2012-10:00am at 10:00 am (UTC -4)
I would just assume they go with the kids on the farm for now. I know Schwinden was not very good the other night. They could try Hefner and maybe even Mejia or Gorski.
They do have Young who is projected to be ready by June.
If none of these options work out, they’re might be more pitchers available come July.
Mr North Jersey
4/29/2012-11:18am at 11:18 am (UTC -4)
This
Stickguy
4/29/2012-11:11am at 11:11 am (UTC -4)
I think it will be Hefner next, Gorski in the hole from the prospects. Young, could get rushed if he can make a few rehab starts and hold together. But, maybe June 1 at the absolute best shot for him?
that can hold together the rotating 5th spot for now. The bigger problem is, what if (God forbid) someone else goes down?
Oswalt I had thought of, but no clue what he is doing. Can he even be ready by 6/15 at this point?
So, if they get someone (and they probably should) it will be a trapped in AAA or retread (Joel Pinera, is he still around?) type. Someone cheap (in prospects)
Stickguy
4/29/2012-11:13am at 11:13 am (UTC -4)
also, and i may be hallucinating this, but isn’t there a rule now that guys that went to the minors have an out clause soon? Maybe 6/1? I know some individual contracts do, but I thought there was a piece of the rules (the same one that had the 100K bonus condition to go down) that said they could walk at a certain point?
They could also, of course, do a waiver claim for someone that a team was trying to sneak through.
srt
4/29/2012-11:25am at 11:25 am (UTC -4)
If I’m not mistaken, that rule is: If you had six or better years in the majors – and had signed a minor league contract before the season, the club had to pay you a bonus of 100,000 grand to be sent to the minors – or release you five days before opening day.
I you did go to the minors – and you weren’t back with the big club by June 1st, you could opt out of that contract.
So there might very well be some fringe pitchers available for pickup come June.
Stickguy
4/29/2012-12:00pm at 12:00 pm (UTC -4)
good timing. I knew there was something like that.
Stickguy
4/29/2012-11:14am at 11:14 am (UTC -4)
on a totally random note, I was watching the tail end of the Washington game last night. Talk about blowing a save in spectacular fashion, that was it.
Wonderful to see too!
kingman 26
4/29/2012-1:38pm at 1:38 pm (UTC -4)
Yes they should; sitting at 12-9 with a definite soft part of the schedule approaching is the time to move well over .500, NOT rush any minor leaguers, and show the fans and the players they mean busine$$.
My guess is they roll the dice with what they have and are praying every day and night at the altar of a healthy Chris Young, assuming that altar does in fact exist.
To me, Schwinden is the latest incarnation of Figgy/Misch/etc. But in all seriousness, if Johan/Dickey/Niese/Gee keep pitching as they have been, and when one looks at the potentially easier schedule in May, we really might be able to hold out for Young’s return.
On the other hand, Young may have torn an ACL opening the fridge as I wrote this.
To me, I would gladly go for Oswalt if he is ready. Young cannot be counted on really, and if the team is really over the financial misery of the offseason, this would be a fine way to show it.
But in the next four weeks beginning tomorrow, 23 of 26 games are with teams currently with losing records. HOU, SD, PIT being among them, so there are two schools of thought–try to survive with crap in the 5 spot, OR really try to move 6 or 8 games over .500 by adding to the clear strength of the team.
Should be interesting. If they can win today and 2 of 3 in HOU to move to 15-10, it might really be time to start believing. A little.
Stickguy
4/29/2012-4:00pm at 4:00 pm (UTC -4)
I believe, I believe…
big problem? what can you get, that can pitch right away, that is any good? If Oswalt is going to take 6 weeks to get up to speed, what good does that really do?
My guess, Schwinden gets 1 more, then they try Hefner to see if he can do an OK job through May, than come 6/1 they look for outside help (young possibly, or someone picked up).
kingman 26
4/29/2012-4:51pm at 4:51 pm (UTC -4)
“If Oswalt is going to take 6 weeks to get up to speed, what good does that really do?”
If he is healthy and productive? It gives us a potentially amazing rotation for the last 3 and 1/2 months of the season.
That could do a LOT of good; incredible good really, if they can go through the month of May 3–5 games over .500 before the schedule gets real tough again.
Hazmet
4/29/2012-8:11pm at 8:11 pm (UTC -4)
The other good it could do is keeping him away from the Phillies if Lee’s oblique becomes a nagging injury or something more during the year. Grab Oswalt now, if reasonable, and get him away from other teams as an option. If the deal is smart, he could always be traded for something if the season turns south.