Talking about Gio Gonzalez

[Benjamin Grimm]

Mike Puma wrote: Mets have maintained dialogue with Gio Gonzalez's camp. Question is whether Gonzalez is enough of a rotation upgrade to warrant expenditure, but the Mets' starting pitching depth is also extremely thin. As noted previously, Gonzalez has a sub-2 ERA lifetime at Citi Field.

[A Boy Named Seo]

yesyesyes. I mean don't care about Gio Gonzalez per se, but the Mets do need a Gio Gonzalez. This Gio Gonzalez would be fine and probably challenge Vargas anyway.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I'd consider it too. It's not like Justin Dunn is going to be the 6th man

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

That said, Gio always struck me as a complete penis of a man. Temperamental, unpredictable, occasionally brilliant. Don't know if a 6th-man role would necessarily suit him and he may prefer being some shitty team's ace instead.

[A Boy Named Seo]

A complete penis of a man, LOL. Oh, and "Temperamental, unpredictable, occasionally brilliant" sounds like Matz.

[Centerfield]

I'm on board with someone like Gonzalez too.



We're one rotation injury from having Vargas and Chris Flexen start 40% of our games. And our rotation includes Syndergaard, Matz and Wheeler, so the chances of them staying healthy, well, you know.



Obviously we should be aiming higher. But you take what you can get I guess.



Gio's been good against the Mets right? I feel like he'd be one of those ok pitchers that dominated us that isn't very good by the time we sign him later.

[smg58]

He definitely appears to be on the decline -- which doesn't mean he couldn't upgrade on Vargas, or at least function in a relief role. A year commitment at 4 or 5 million would be reasonable.

[Edgy MD]

In a world ruled by me, the idea that Gsellie and Lugo have become bullpen fixtures doesn't preclude their return to the rotation if need be.



Starting depth! It's right under your nose!

[Guest 41Forever]

What do you think happens to Vargas when they get another starter? The pen? Released?

Edited February 1, 2019 by Guest

[A Boy Named Seo]

I would love it if some 6th starter was pissed off at receiving only mop-up innings because the 1-5 stalwarts were healthy and missed no starts. But there will no doubt be injuries and if the 10-day DL doesn't go away, there will be opportunities to manipulate "rest" and get dudes some starts. And yanking Lugo or Gselly means we take a hit on the bully depth. I don't love that notion either.

[Frayed Knot]

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: That said, Gio always struck me as a complete penis of a man. Temperamental, unpredictable, occasionally brilliant.

And totally frustrating to watch: works slow, and is often heading for 100 pitches by the 4th inning.

[Lefty Specialist]

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: That said, Gio always struck me as a complete penis of a man. Temperamental, unpredictable, occasionally brilliant. Don't know if a 6th-man role would necessarily suit him and he may prefer being some shitty team's ace instead.

This. You could always rattle Gio easily. He'd get to the 6th inning cruising and then a ball isn't fielded cleanly and he loses it. The Nats knew this too, and there were plenty of quick hooks before things would get out of hand. (Yes, Matz is this way too.)



A complete penis of a man. A glorious turn of phrase.

[Edgy MD]

A Boy Named Seo wrote: I would love it if some 6th starter was pissed off at receiving only mop-up innings because the 1-5 stalwarts were healthy and missed no starts. But there will no doubt be injuries and if the 10-day DL doesn't go away, there will be opportunities to manipulate "rest" and get dudes some starts. And yanking Lugo or Gselly means we take a hit on the bully depth. I don't love that notion either.

Well, the other half of that perspective is that putting them in the bullpen at all gives a hit to rotation depth, which I value more.

[LWFS]

I mean, being a complete penis of a man has got to be better than being a partial penis of a man.

Edgy MD wrote: Well, the other half of that perspective is that putting them in the bullpen at all gives a hit to rotation depth, which I value more.

How so? If they're not 1-5, they're going to pitch somewhere, no? Pitching staff roles tend to be written in pencil; it's best that they're pitching whatever innings they're pitching against major leaguers, hundreds of miles closer to where they'd need to be in an emergency, right?

[Edgy MD]

If they get bumped from the bullpen into the rotation, they will be part of the rotation, presumably getting an average of 9-10 innings a week, with the 4-5 innings of bullpen work per week they leave behind being divided up among guys already in the pen, with maybe no more than one going to a callup.



If he stays in the pen, and the starter job goes to P.J. Conlon or some Syracuse exile, that's 6-8 innings per week to a caullup, and 1-3 more innings to the pen's back end.



The best route to a successful bullpen is the best rotation.

[MFS62]

All said, I'd rather have him pitching for the Mets than against them.

That penis has screwed them many times, and has a 1.75 career ERA at CitiField.

Later

[Fman99]

Go get him. More depth. Puh-leeeease.

[nymr83]

=Fman99 post_id=2252 time=1549077560 user_id=86]
Go get him. More depth. Puh-leeeease.

[dgwphotography]

If they get Gio, I'll start having a man crush n BVW

[Centerfield]

Really? A man crush over Gio Gonzalez?



I mean, I think he's better than Vargas too. But he may not be that much better.



His WHIP over his last four seasons:



2015: 1.423

2016: 1.342

2017: 1.179

2018: 1.444



Three of the last four he's not been great. And even in 2017 when he had a good year, he led the league with 79 walks. Tons of baserunners, high pitch count, taxes the bullpen. Kinda seems like a late career Al Leiter once his cutter stopped working. His WHIP in 2018 was actually worse than Vargas, though the ERA was better.



I mean, on a one year deal it's probably worth a go, but I would view this more as a "Hey let's try to make sure Chris Flexen starts as few games as possible" than "Let's bolster our rotation." I demand more of my man-crushes.

[RealityChuck]

I think it's going to be an uphill battle.



1. Gonzalez wants a long-term contract; they Mets only want one year. Any team that offers two or more has an advantage.

2. Gonzalez would expect to be in the starting rotation. He can see that it might not happen: it depends on Vargas and injuries. Any team that can say, "Sure, you'll start" also has an advantage.

[Vic Sage]

Vargas in 2017 and the 2nd half of 2018 was equivalent to Gio.

Pass.