The Mets are walking a fine line right now with Mike Pelfrey after another poor start in yesterday's 11-5 loss to the Rockies. On one hand, the team wants to develop its young talent, which is both cost-efficient and a feel-good move for the organization. On the other, the Mets don't have the luxury of sacrificing starts for the sake of Pelfrey's growing pains. Not with the Braves playing like a team with a chip on its shoulder, and don't look now, but the Phillies have reeled off five straight.
General manager Omar Minaya said yesterday that Pelfrey will get another start, but he also "reserves the right" to change his mind. Jorge Sosa has been impressive (3-0, 1.38 ERA) at Triple-A New Orleans, and he does have major-league experience.
Say you are in Minaya's shoes. Do you pull the plug on Pelfrey, send him down for some seasoning and call up Sosa? Or do you think Pelfrey can turn it around over the next five days? He's really the only weak link in the rotation at this point, and every game could be pivotal this season in the NL East.
Comments (13)
The thing with sending him down is that I believe if the Mets send him to New Orleans, they need to leave him there to develop. Don't pull him up every time there is an injury and someone goes on the DL. I think, mentally, that would be tough for him. They need to either let him develop up in NY, and deal with the growing pains, or send him down to AAA to develop, but don't bounce him back and forth.
Gotta keep him up. If you wanna move him, trade him.
Let him be. Everyone is getting a little crazy a little to early. Let him grow here with the big boys. These guys shining is New Orleans are doing just that...
Shining in AAA
Sniget,
Those options have drawbacks. If you keep Pelfrey up and he continues struggling, you possibly lose ground to the Braves and the resurging Phillies. If trading him is considered, who could you get? Pelfrey hasn't established himself at the MLB level. The talent your get in return would be weak, not an established player. You also run the risk, if he ever does, of another Kasmir trade debacle! That is what got Jim Duquette demoted in the organization. Omar, as a sharp GM, is not going to take that chance.
give him one more start..
::flipping through calendar::
yep... it's still April. And hey, even with two poor performances in a row, and 2 wins in six tries against the Braves, and with the Phillies winning five in a row, look who's still in first place. Sheesh, we all *knew* that Pelfrey was not going to be lights out from day one. He needs to make adjustments, he needs to grow. I, for one, say he has until at least Memorial Day to work it out, before any of this talk should begin.
Rich, when you speak of adjustments, you show how much of a novice you are at following baseball.
Pelfry is not making adjustments, he is learning new pitches.
He has scrubbed his old arsenal and is learning
changeups and grips.
He can learn that in triple A.
That is what the minors are for.
Adjustments are like: where you come set, where you toe the rubber, hiding the ball from view, tilting your head too much on a breaking pitch.
Vargas is a better option now.
Pelfrey has no out pitch. That's the simple difference between Pelfrey and Philip Hughes, who I watched tonight.
Hughes also changes speeds, has more pitches and locates well.
With Pelfrey, hitters know what's coming - a fastball about belt high, or a slider that doesn't move too much. Notice how few strikeouts and ground ball outs Pelfrey has gotten so far.
The result? Batting practice for opposing hitters.
Send him down for more seasoning and give Chan Ho a shot.
PITCHING COACH: YOU ARE ANOTHER YANKEE FAN. GO AWAY BACK TO LAST PLACE YOU LOSER. YANKEES STINK AMIGO.
PHIL HUGHES IS ALREADY DOOMED TO DESTRUCTION.
DEAL WITH IT. WHY?
HE IS BEING COMPARED TO ROGER CLEMENS ALREADY BY STUPID YANKEE FANS?
OH, SOUNDS LIKE THE KISS OF YOU KNOW WHAT.
BUT PITCHING COACH, THE ONLY OUT PITCH PHIL HUGHES NEEDS IS FOR HIS AGENT TO "PITCH" HIM TO ANOTHER TEAM.
YANKEES ARE DOWN AND OUT AND IT WILL GET REAAAAAL UGLY.
YOU MAY BECOME A MET FAN YET.
oH AND PITCHING COACH, HUGHES WILL NEVER BE A MATT CAIN. NOT EVER. JUST THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT.
OH AND PITCHING COACH, THE NUMBERS ON CHAN HO PARK IN THE MINORS, KIND OF LOOK LIKE KEI IGAWA'S NUMBERS WITH THE YANKEES.
VERY VERY STINKY...maybe just maybe HE CAN PITCH FOR THE YANKEES THIS SEASON TOO
THEN YOU CAN HAVE TWICE THE FUN.
Darth Tater? Shaz up already.
What's up with the caps?
If worrying about Pelfry and Hughes is the most of our troubles...then everything else can't be that bad. Trouble is everything for the Yankees seems bad except for Andy Pettite. He is looking good and I really wouldn't mind him in Flushing for the next two years. He's got game.
The New York Post, on 04/28/07 reports that
"The Mets discussed whether to give Mike Pelfrey another start, and the 23-year-old (0-2, 7.90 ERA) will take the hill on Tuesday for his fourth outing this season. Pelfrey is not assured of getting a fifth start at the moment, despite the fact that yesterday Randolph said the righty isn't auditioning and is 'my fifth starter.' Omar Minaya said 'we don't guarantee young players,' so if Pelfrey gets hammered again Tuesday, he could be sent to Triple-A New Orleans."
Well, if Pelfrey gets pelted again, you know the next stop!
Mike Pelfrey should stay on the Mets for at least one more start.And for all you yankee fans out there, forget about the yankees in the postseason.The yanks are gonna finish last and that's the bottom line!!!