At one point the Mets, while of course these injury concerns were always there, had some starting pitching depth. Santana, Niese, Harvey, Marcum, and Gee were followed by Hefner, McHugh, Mejia and possibly even Gorski and Familia and of course with Wheeler waiting in the wings. Now those question marks have started to look a little more concerning.
We know all about Johan gate, Marcum is a little behind at best, Mejia has an undisclosed health issue and Wheeler is taking his time after a slight strain. With news coming out today that Johan is almost certain to start the season on the DL Hefner has already penciled himself into the starting rotation. If Marcum is not ready the Mets will most likely turn to McHugh. An opening rotation consisting of Hefner and McHugh? Any chances of the Mets getting off to a good start are squashed right there.
Many were clamoring for the Mets to add more SP depth before any of this news even came out, there is an obvious problem with that. What experienced pitcher wants to come in and possibly have to go to AAA if all these health concerns turned out the other way? What if a pitcher like Young signed back in February only to see no spot and have to head out to Vegas to try and prove his worth? However, now with Johan on the DL and Marcum behind schedule there are options out there where with it being March there could be pressure on both the player and the Mets to get something done.
First of all, take any notion of Kyle Loshe out of your mind. It’s not happening. The Mets weren’t fighting the rules for Bourn and they won’t be for Loshe. Also, while the Tigers have Porcello on the block, they are looking for a closer and we conveniently don’t have on of those either.
There are options on the trade market, JA Happ may be out of a job and the Dodgers are loaded with back-end guys in Capuano, Lilly, and Harang.
As for the FA market there are still a few intriguing names out there.
Carl Pavano, Dallas Braden, Chien-Ming Wang, Dustin Moseley, Roy Oswalt, all of course have their own issues but at this point in the season a guy like Pavano or Braden might be willing to come in and prove himself or at least head to AAA for a while in insurance.
Either way, for the Mets most considered the starting rotation to be the strength and any chance of competing rested on their shoulders. Now, they have to hope that Niese, Harvey and Gee continue to develop and the injury issues on Johan and Marcum can at least hold off until help arrives.
I will add this in that yesterday in the Daily News, Martino quoted a Mets official with the following:
“More likely we’ll go with what we have in here,” said one Mets official, while a second source offered an even stronger statement: “We are not even in that (starting pitching) market right now.”
29 comments
TX
3/6/2013-9:44am at 9:44 am (UTC -4)
Unless you are clearing out 40 man flotsam (Havens + others as an example), it makes no sense to trade for a short term solution.
The one strength is turning out to be shaky at best.
Hey TRS, maybe Figgy is available…
TRS86
3/6/2013-9:48am at 9:48 am (UTC -4)
Some of those names at this point might not take a spot on the 40 man unless they make the team.
Boomer
3/6/2013-9:56am at 9:56 am (UTC -4)
McHugh Hefner. There’s a Playboy joke in there somewhere.
It doesn’t sound as if Santana or Marcum are targets of long term DL stints and anybody who breaks camp on the DL can have their time back dated into ST so I don’t think we need to find a SP. I’d rather they keep looking for some OF help. The problems we have out there aren’t going to be solved with a trip to the DL.
TX
3/6/2013-10:11am at 10:11 am (UTC -4)
I’m with you on this. If Murph was healthy, I’d even consider shopping him around. I know that the White Sox need a LH bat. Maybe you can pry away one of their RH OF bats…
Stick
3/6/2013-10:32am at 10:32 am (UTC -4)
Murphy will be back by this weekend. If he looks OK< hell yeah I would shop the hell out of him.
TX
3/6/2013-10:44am at 10:44 am (UTC -4)
If you could turn Murph and a higher end P prospect into Dayan Viciendo, I think that solves some issues for the long run. I don’t know if that seals the deal or not, but those details can be sorted. Murphy could start at 3B over Morel in a heart beat.
Stick
3/6/2013-10:46am at 10:46 am (UTC -4)
not familiar with that particular guy, but yes, that would be the gameplan to follow.
and if I could turn water into wine, I would be drunk a lot.
TX
3/6/2013-10:48am at 10:48 am (UTC -4)
I can walk on water when it freezes.
greggofboken
3/6/2013-9:58am at 9:58 am (UTC -4)
Mejia’s issue is apparently a thyroid issue (could be hyper or hypo — Reyes dealt w/the same thing a few seasons back). It may slow him up for a bit while they stabilize him, but it shouldn’t derail him unless somethign unusual is going on.
Laffey is also an option — though no one seems to mention him. He started 16 games last year. Marcum does not seem concerned….simply pacing himself in an elongated spring training.
Save your bullets….unless someone interesting gets cut.
TX
3/6/2013-10:10am at 10:10 am (UTC -4)
I think if you are Dominican, you should restrict your intake of shellfish. Just saying…
Stick
3/6/2013-10:31am at 10:31 am (UTC -4)
that is why I live on twinkies and beer. Much healthier.
greggofboken
3/6/2013-10:33am at 10:33 am (UTC -4)
I am not a Dominican, but I appreciate the head’s up about the mollusks nonetheless. I’ll have the veal. Much obliged.
TX
3/6/2013-10:45am at 10:45 am (UTC -4)
Ah… Veal… Animal child abuse never tasted so good.
Boomer
3/6/2013-10:49am at 10:49 am (UTC -4)
Meh, the veal get off easy. Think about the poor lobsters.
You walk into a restaurant and pick the guy you want to eat while they scramble around a tank looking to hide behind each other. Then the lucky guy gets tossed alive into a boiling pot of water and 15 minutes later your are dipping the poor sap in melted butter.
If they weren’t so damned tasty this would really upset me.
kingman 26
3/6/2013-9:17pm at 9:17 pm (UTC -4)
HAHAHAHAHA!!!!
TRS86
3/6/2013-10:38am at 10:38 am (UTC -4)
Yeah, I did forget about Laffey because no one was mentioning him. I actually thought he had a decent chance of making the team as the longman considering he is LH as well so never bad to have another LH in there. He has pitched 3.2 innings this spring with 5 hits, 2 walks and 2 K’s somehow without giving up a run. Could be a nice find.
srt
3/6/2013-2:26pm at 2:26 pm (UTC -4)
Heard the booth talking about him a bit the other day.
Think the Mets are hoping he does put together a good showing at ST.
Stick
3/6/2013-10:30am at 10:30 am (UTC -4)
not going to panic yet.
And Probably need to wait until the 3rd week of March at least to see where Marcum and Johan are at. Marcum sounds like he should be ready (he seems to think so) and he did pitch yesterday. Johan? Fine, give him an extra couple of weeks, and they can go with 4 guys initially.
so right now, not likely they could or should bring someone in. And if those FAs have not been in camp already, odds are they won’t be ready for OD either.
If it gets to be late March and you see that you will be short 2 guys for an extended time, then you sort through the end of camp roster crunch casualties and find someone else.
Right now, Mejia and Wheeler are not options (and IMO never were). Heffner, McHuch and laffey taffy can cover a few weeks while “I’m a man” finishes getting ready.
Look at the schedule, there is a full month until you even need the 4th SP, and marcum pitched yesterday and said he felt good. so figure 4 more starts, going 3-4-5-6 innings, and he should be ready by ~4/5 when his turn would come up. Johan, he is going to be ready when he is, even if that means 4/15 or so.
darknova306
3/6/2013-11:18am at 11:18 am (UTC -4)
If Johan and Marcum were both to start the season on the DL, and that’s simply speculation at best, they’d combine to miss a couple of starts. That’s not going to ruin the team’s season.
And getting off to a quick start isn’t that important to me. I need to see this team have a strong second half for the first time in 5-6 years.
TRS86
3/6/2013-11:35am at 11:35 am (UTC -4)
True enough.
srt
3/6/2013-2:27pm at 2:27 pm (UTC -4)
If we’re doing any trades this spring, it had better be for a bat that can play the OF.
I know it’s early but I’m not seeing much in the way of offense with these ST games.
srt
3/6/2013-2:42pm at 2:42 pm (UTC -4)
Ha!
Spoke too soon as the Mets put up 7 runs in the 6th against Venezuela. Nice….
srt
3/6/2013-2:42pm at 2:42 pm (UTC -4)
I mean bottom of the 5th.
TRS86
3/6/2013-4:23pm at 4:23 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t know, to me Cowgill, Vspat and Byrd have been some of the few offensive bright spots on ST so far.
srt
3/6/2013-5:21pm at 5:21 pm (UTC -4)
Vspat – LOL. Have to remember this nickname.
You’re right though. Brown, Bixler, Hicks haven’t done much so far.
Think Recker and Q have had a few hits/walks too.
wanny
3/6/2013-3:50pm at 3:50 pm (UTC -4)
I don’t think they will shop. They will have Hefner and McHugh to make a few starts, if necessary.
Of the name you mentioned, Braden is the most intriguing but I am not sure when he is scheduled to start throwing.
Boomer
3/6/2013-4:45pm at 4:45 pm (UTC -4)
AdamRubinESPN Adam Rubin
Terry Colins expects Johan Santana in a Grapefruit League game in seven days.
Daniel Stein-Sayles
3/6/2013-5:53pm at 5:53 pm (UTC -4)
AAAA in the fifth rotation spot forever!!!
kingman 26
3/6/2013-9:18pm at 9:18 pm (UTC -4)
Well said Chief.