With Pedro Martinez scheduled to start Friday in Atlanta, manager Willie Randolph said today that the Mets will use six pitchers this time through the rotation and then figure out what to do with the spare arm. Mike Pelfrey, John Maine and even Orlando Hernandez all are candidates for the bullpen, but the decision could come down to a variety of factors. Maine seems best suited for the bullpen, but he pitched a four-hit shutout on Saturday, and could be more valuable as a starter. If Pelfrey becomes the odd man out, the Mets would rather keep him on turn at Double-A Binghamton, and El Duque, who may be as old as 43, is probably not durable enough to handle the bullpen workload.
In other news, Jose Valentin is getting the night off, so Chris Woodward will start at second base.
Comments (35)
El Duque is as old as 43? Who issued that nugget of info his agent?
Pelfrey will go down. Even he admits he needs work on his 2nd and 3rd pitches. But when he's ready, he'll be great.
http://www.pickmeup.mlblogs.com/
Rumor has it that Jose Lima will be called up again...Ha! Ha! Ha! Just kidding !
The Mets should do EVERYTHING within their power to protect and guard Pelfry. It would truly be sad now to have another Soler on our hands. Translation: don't let him get racked around like Soler got spanked over against the Yanks. I am sure Alay is still in therapy as we speak. Look at the Twinkies...they coddled Liriano
and Santana. How did that work out? Life's rich rewards. Was anyone a little disappointed with Willie making public comments about Pelfry? he should say nothing. Hey and El Duque is 43 years old....but it was during the Clinton administration. Thank the "old baseball gods" he had a good start, it makes Omar Minaya look less desperate at the deadline.
Jose Lima does have some value.... but only for "MERENGUE night" exclusively. Give him a pair of bongos and some parachute pants.....it would be magic....
I think Pelfrey should be sent down unless we see something spectacular from him in his next start.
Any reason why he would be sent back to AA instead of AAA? Figure makes more sense for him to be Norfolk facing hitters closer to major league level.
I hope Will is paying Solars's head doctor bills. I also think Pelfry should go to AAA and not AA
First of all AA has been the better league for years now. AAA is filled with old players and career minor leaguers. It is very common for players to move from AA to the majors. I would like to see the Mets give Pelfrey a chance to work with Peterson and straighten out his stuff here. They have the luxury of a big lead and he has the talent to be the ace they need in the playoffs. Liriano was signed out of high school so don't compare him to Pelfrey who pitched in college. And you can't compare him to Soler who is certainly not as mature as Pelfrey. You didn't see Pelfrey throw a fit everytime something didn't go his way. It is worth the risk to let Pelfrey and Maine pitch. I would trade Trachsel for a prospect and go with the young guys. Remember one other thing, we should have enough to get through the National league and the American League has never seen Pelfrey or Maine. Look how Zito fared against the Red Sox yesterday and he never beats the Yankees.
Zito is not the answer, 25-23 last two seasons but neither is Pelfrey who is at least 2-3 years away. Maine and Trachsel are not good enough and Pedro,Glavine and ElDuque are too old and fragile.We need an ace in the mold of Kazmir,Willis or even Santana.
As i have written on TalkBack the not so well know names u can trade for like Scott Olsens of the Marlins would give u a nice pitcher with HUGE upside for good B plus players. Nady, Heilman and maybe; if need be; Maine would be a nice trade for him. Mets have a surplus of young affordable righthanded pitchers to swap with the Marlins. Xaiver Nady would be a nice cheap Player the marlins can continue to build around.
The only reason i think the Marlins would be up for this trade would be the addition of Heilman who wants to start and who i think would be a better Starter than reliever and Olsen's not to great Attitutde. Remember the almost fight with Caberra in the dugout and the fight with another pitcher this season that left him with a blackeye.
If they can obtain him for Nady, Heilman and if need be Maine or Bannister, than do it. To then have Olsen, Milledge, Pelfery and Phillip Humber coming along nicely from Tommy John surgery.. well that gives u some nice talent if u need to trade for a Proven Big Name Player! I.E. Alfonso Soriano to play leftfield when Floyd leaves after this season.
You don't have to trade any of them, but i u had to U could get any player peroid! Mets need figure out what course they want to set from here on out. Long term and short term! No more stupid trades for Big name Prospects please. No more trades just to make a trade.. use your surplus to YOUR BENEFIT not to YOUR DEBTRIMENT!
Casey : Let me get this straight, you don't like Pedro (our ace), or Glavine (Cy young candidate), or Maine (who just threw a shutout), or Trachsel (who had won seven in a row), or Pelfry (has had ONE bad inning), or Barry Zito ( who has had zero run support the last two years--LOOK IT UP ). buuuuut the Mets have a 13 game lead....So Mikey, is there anything you do like?
Just please, feel free to add me to your "He Hate Me" list.....that is some pretty good company. Try Prozac or something.
While I don't necessarily agree with Casey's assessments (i.e. his insistence that the Devil Rays are ready to get rid of Scott Kazmir for Heilman and Milledge), he has a point. Glavine has done nothing in his last six starts (a fact that the SNY announcers pointed out in tonight's game), Trachsel has been the recipient of some generous run support, and Pedro, while our ace and still dominatng at times, might be at the end of his illustrious career sooner than we expected. Which leaves Maine (whom I like), Pelfrey (who could use some more seasoning, but whom I also like), and Hernandez (who has been mediocre at best). Barry Zito would be nice, and the Mets probably have the trading chip (Lastings Milledge) and the cash needed to sign him long term. But the one thing that NO ONE should do is just sit back and say "well, we have a 13-game lead....", because last time I checked that lead has shrunk again. It was at 11.5 games prior to tonight's game with the Cubbies. One Mets slide and Braves hot streak could make it uncomfortable.
When did i say the Rays wanted to get rid of kazmir? I said the Rays wanted to get rid of Lugo because he wants 8 mil. next year. We take Lugo and Kazmir for Lastings,Heilman and Pelfrey.Oh yea, Mr.Home,your Cy Young candidate got his wally-wally knocked in his watch pocket again.
OK, who was watching last night when, between the fourth and fifth innings, Glavine remembered that he actually had a curveball in his aresenal. I think its been about 6 weeks (when was his last win) since he actually threw a curveball to a hitter. What happened when Glavine started mixing in dubious amounts of curves? He retired 10 straight batters!! Zambrano's homer was an abberation for Glavine, since he hit a pitch up and out of the strike zone. There isn't much a pitcher can do about a guy hitting a bad ball, even if he is the opposing pitcher.
I sure hope that Glavine remembers that his turn around at last year's all star break included a curveball in the mix with his throwing inside and his sneaky fastball after the curves and change-ups. He can get back to where he was. He looked unhittable again for that 10 batter sequence.
Anyone care to consider Schmidt? I'm a huge fan of bringing Zito to the house, in fact, given how loved Milledge is by Beane, and that Donald Trump could be Zitos' agent and we still would pay for him in Dec; Zito would be the best fit. But would Schmidt work out? Given that the Mets would not send Pelfrey,Lindstrom, or Milledge for him...that I am certain would be suicide
The Rays don't want Lugo because he's going to cost them $8 million next year, which I'm fine with, but how do you get from Point A to Point B, where suddenly it's "oh, we'll take Scott Kazmir too while you're at it"? Is Lugo some sort of conduit to Kazmir? Are the Mets going to break out the smoke and mirrors to somehow convince the Rays to throw Kazmir into the deal? Heilman, Milledge and Pelfrey for Kazmir and Lugo? Quite honestly, if Omar Minaya went to the Rays with that "deal", I think they would laugh him right out of the room. Bottom line, the Rays have a gem in Kamzir. They know they hosed the Mets with the Kazmir/Zambrano trade (about the only things they've done right since their inception); what makes you POSSIBLY think they would send him back to New York? He has all the makings of being their staff ace for years to come, and no matter how you package the players in your supposed trade, even if you throw in Pelfrey with Heilman and Milledge, whose stocks have dropped, why take a young pitcher who MAY succeed in the majors when you already have a young pitcher who IS succeeding in the majors? It would be like the Angels ripping off the Mets in the Nolan Ryan trade, then turning around and giving him right back. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
Put me in the trade Milledge for Zito club
One thing about Kazmir. He's missing his next start because of a sore shoulder. Though there is no doubt that we got screwed with that trade, I will bet anyone he is headed for a big injury and will never be what everyone thinks he'll be. Remember this, whenever anyone talks about short left handed power pitchers, they always bring up Ron Guidry. Well isn't it a little scary that we have to go back 25 years to find a lefty under 6 ft tall that had a long career. Kazmir was signed out of high school and has never come close to throwing 200 innings in a season and then having to pitch in the post season. So your right that Tampa wouldn't make that trade but neither would I. I'll take my chances with a 6'7" Pelfrey who pitched plenty of innings in college.
Casey: Good news. Anger management class begins in 20 minutes.....the bad news is that Tom Glavine's family members will be the moderator. (they look really pissed)
firedog98: Did you know the Giants were in FIRST PLACE this weekend, also they just traded one of their most promising young relievers Accardo for a veteran first baseman Hillenbrand, they have decided to be buyers and are in the market for Roberto Hernandez and or Solomon Torres from the Pirates. Why would they trade their best starting pitcher fella? It is amazing how almost sweeping the first place (Padres)team 4 straight can change the view of management. Schmidt is OFF the market unless the Giants are overwelmed like its nobody's business. He will re-sign with the Giants.
As I have stated in the past, and was surprised to read it "yesterday" as a trade rumor on MLB.COM....The man behind door number 3 will be Gil Meche from the: Seattle Mariners. Get used to him as your new number three. He will be the Met deadline move. Anyone forgot what Rick Reed looked like? He and Gil are twins in their style and in heart.
Pedro Martinez's --little midget friend was not Mike Lupica as had previously been reported here.....His name is actually Nelson "Lucky Charms" De La Rosa and I want that little rabbits foot placed right up against Pedro's sore hip. I want the Mets to give him a hotel room and a police escort, I want him present during all of Pedro's post game interviews. I want him to shower with Pedro and soak for one hour in Pedro's bathwater before he gets in.
Let's do it.
As a new promotion, I will personally take one of those air guns and fire Pedro's midget friend into the crowd.
Milledge for Zito, Heilman for Meche, El Duque to the 'pen, Trachsel for a prospect(s)...Pelfrey back to Norfolk or Bingamton.
1. Pedro
2. Zito
3. Glavine
4. Meche
5. Maine
Works for me. ;)
Oh, sign Carlos Lee in the offseason to accomodate for Cliff Floyd.
Mr. Met you are too funny !I just hope we don't get hate mail from the "Little People Association of America". I think I might be their public enemy number one.
Mr. Met and Frank D. are two funny bunnies or are they one in the same? In any event get back in the closet.
Mr. Met is not the same person as Frank D., although Mr. Met WILL say that Frank D. is an OK guy. Mr. Met does not understand why you have to hide behind an anonymous name; in any case, ask your old lady how much she liked Mr. Met's huge bat and balls last night. When she tells you that she wishes you knew how to handle a baseball bat like Mr. Met, and you compose yourself after hours of crying at the realization that you are inferior to Mr. Met in all aspects of life, YOU can join that other hoser Boston Fan in the closet.
In my closet you will find a Bruce Berenyi autographed baseball, Met yearbooks, some newspaper scrapbooks that I made of the 1986 and 1988 playoffs, a picture from Pete Franklin that he sent after insulting me on the air (it says: To Frank, WELCOME TO SHOWBIZ)THAT BASTARD, and some women's shoes that I swiped - is that so wrong?
Did you swipe the shoes from Ms. Met? Can Ms. Met do more things with a baseball bat than a monkey can do with a peanut? Come clean Frankie.
Hey, only the ones who truly love me call me Frankie.
Do you love me too anonymous or not? There is a trading deadline ya'know.
What size shoe do you wear?
how can i get a message to a met player????????????
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