I guess we should probably talk about Jason Vargas, huh

[A Boy Named Seo]

Metsblog sez the Mets are interested in 35-year old lefty Jason Vargas. He won't cost a second-round pick like Lance Lynn or Alex Cobb and new pitching coach Dave Eiland worked with him last year and apparently likes him enough to not pour cold water on whatever level of interest we have.

Not a strikeout guy at all (6.71 K/9 last year), he was probably way too good in the first half (2.62 ERA) and way too crappy in the second half (6.38 ERA). Overall he put up a 4.16 ERA, but FIP (4.67), xFIP (4.94) and SIERA (4.86) all indicate he probably should have been a little worse off.

He hasn't worked out of the bullpen since 2005, so this guy would be brought in as a 5th/6th starter.

Can't say there's a lot of Jason Vargas excitement from where I sit. What about you?

[Ceetar]

No.

If I had to pick, Colin McHugh

[Edgy MD]

The split between those two halves is hard to get past, i'n't it?

It's interesting that Omar Minaya has returned and the Mets are re-opening files on Omar-era properties such as Matt den Dekker and Jason Vargas.

[nymr83]

is this a guy who gets a decent contract? then no.

if he gets league minimum and released assuming we exit spring training healthy, sure.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Nymr83 wrote: is this a guy who gets a decent contract? then no. if he gets league minimum and released assuming we exit spring training healthy, sure.

I would say very unlikely he gets anywhere near minimum.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I guess signing him is better than not signing him because he would add a bit of depth that the Mets might ultimately need, but I'd feel much better if they'd set their sights higher.

[Centerfield]

This whole offseason is about as satisfying as a dry hump.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Hopefully the season itself will be more of a wet hump.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I had completely forgotten that Jason Vargas was once a Met.

Traded with Adam Bostick by the Florida Marlins to the New York Mets in exchange for Henry Owens and Matt Lindstrom on November 20, 2006. Traded by the New York Mets to the Seattle Mariners with Aaron Heilman, Endy Chavez, Joe Smith, Maikel Cleto, Ezequiel Carrera and Mike Carp in exchange for Sean Green, J. J. Putz and Jeremy Reed on December 11, 2008.

He started two games for the Mets in 2007, one in May and one in July. As a Met, he has a 12.19 ERA in 10.1 innings.

If he becomes a Met again, that ERA can only come down. I hope!

[Valadius]

Why?

[Vic Sage]

i'd rather grab a Dickey.

[Edgy MD]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I had completely forgotten that Jason Vargas was once a Met. Traded with Adam Bostick by the Florida Marlins to the New York Mets in exchange for Henry Owens and Matt Lindstrom on November 20, 2006. Traded by the New York Mets to the Seattle Mariners with Aaron Heilman, Endy Chavez, Joe Smith, Maikel Cleto, Ezequiel Carrera and Mike Carp in exchange for Sean Green, J. J. Putz and Jeremy Reed on December 11, 2008. He started two games for the Mets in 2007, one in May and one in July. As a Met, he has a 12.19 ERA in 10.1 innings. If he becomes a Met again, that ERA can only come down. I hope!

Sheesh, I thought that second trade to be unforgettable. The most Omariffic of trades.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I do remember that trade with Seattle. I just don't remember Jason Vargas being part of it.

[nymr83]

I'll say this nice thing about Vargas: the upside is lower, but I think he has a better chance than Matt Harvey, a guy who is currently supposedly in our rotation, to give a team 15-20 starts of 90-100 ERA+ (by which i mean better than replacement level but a little below average).

[smg58]

A lot would depend on how optimistic I am about getting 175+ quality innings from at least four of DeGrom/Syndergaard/Harvey/Matz/Wheeler. He'd be an acceptable #5. He'd also be useful as a fill-in starter/long relief option/second lefty in the pen, but his track record says he'll want (and most likely get) more than that role normally goes for. He's not exciting, especially with better options still available, but he has a high floor compared to some of our staff.

[Gwreck]

Vargas was the starting pitcher in what turned out to be a big comeback win against the Cubs in May 2007.

[Fman99]

You had me at "wet hump."

[dgwphotography]

According to Heyman, it's done pending a physical.

[bmfc1]

I hope that Dave Eiland saw enough in Vargas to recommend the signing. You would think that Sandy checked with him first.

[Benjamin Grimm]

ESPN wrote: The New York Mets and starting pitcher Jason Vargas have reached agreement on a two-year, $16 million deal, a source confirmed to ESPN on Friday. The deal, which is pending a physical, includes a club option for 2020, a MLB source told ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. The agreement was first reported by FanRag Sports, and the length of the contract was first reported by MLB.com.

I wasn't expecting it to be two years.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I think Vargas is a good get for the Mets. He alone won the JJ Putz trade, not to mention giving away Joe Smith and Endy Chavez and Heilman and Cleto and who knows what else. That was really the very moment the Omar Era jumped the shark.

[HahnSolo]

Two years is a surprise.

[Vic Sage]

Right now, all of our starters are in ST and preparing to start, with no particular injury limitations. I don't think they signed Vargas to 2yr/$16m deal to be a spot-starter/long man out of the pen, so who does go to the pen? Wheeler? Or is this going to be an open competition to win that 5th starter role out of ST? or 7-9 guys competing for the 3 slots behind Syndy and DeGrom, with the 4th guy going into the pen?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think that it's an open competition for the three spots behind deGrom and Syndergaard.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I don't think they signed Vargas to 2yr/$16m deal to be a spot-starter/long man out of the pen

I do. I mean, I think we're rapidly evolving toward a post starter/reliever world with most guys anyway. 34 year old journeymen who don't get signed till February don't get to make the rules.

[A Boy Named Seo]

two years is kind of a surprise. Is Wheeler slated for the bully now? 6-man rotation to keep all the hurty guys less hurt?

[RealityChuck]

I will say that with this, it's been a pretty good off-season.

[Ceetar]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I don't think they signed Vargas to 2yr/$16m deal to be a spot-starter/long man out of the pen I do. I mean, I think we're rapidly evolving toward a post starter/reliever world with most guys anyway. 34 year old journeymen who don't get signed till February don't get to make the rules.

agreed, though they're publicly saying he'll start. Long time to OD.

Mickey's stated he's open to a starter in the pen, so there's still some time for that too. I assume Montero and Gsellman are going to be technically in competition but the Mets have them starting in AAA.

So Vargas, Harvey, Lugo, Wheeler, Matz for three roster spots?

if everyone stays healthy.

Vargas cause they just signed him, Harvey on personality, matz for the lefty. Wheeler and Lugo start in AAA?

[nymr83]

I think Lugo was the one already slated for AAA of that group. If everyone is healthy, I hope it is Harvey not Wheeler losing the rotation spot out of the gate.

[Vic Sage]

Montero is out of options; he'd have to clear waivers to go down.

As we go into ST, i think it's:

1) Syndy
2) deGrom
3) Harvey (if healthy)
4) Matz (if healthy)
5) _____?
...with Wheeler, Vargas, Lugo, Gsellman, Montero, Flexen and Oswalt (in that order) dueling it out for the 5th slot. The runner-up goes in the pen. Everybody else goes down (or, in Montero's case, goes through waivers). I think we'll end up with Vargas & Wheeler, in either order, but i wouldn't be shocked if Lugo and/or Gsellman forced their way into the discussion.

Is it possible that Harvey and/or Matz could pitch themselves out of the OD rotation? Yeah, but that will depend on their health and mechanics, not production in ST. I think our new manager and pitching coach were brought in specifically to fix those guys, not to bury them based on ST innings, so there's going to have to be some severe issues for them not to be in the rotation right out of the gate. In other words, its their slots to lose. I don't think its an open competition.

Edited February 16, 2018 by Guest