pitching for your major league life: JOSE LIMA

[duan]

You're 33, have earned over $25 million but right now you could be about to get your last go and the major league merry go round.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/l/limajo01.shtml

You've a reputation as a big time charlie; but all that falls apart if nobody'll give you a job. Hell your wife may not even think you're so great anymore, singing sensation or not.

First time round you'd some control issues, but were definitely given a really tough time by a home plate umpire - your catcher getting thrown out (leading to you conceding a run too) didn't help but "maybe" you still had game.
Second time round, you did much better at the start; giving up just one run by the 4th inning but then came the 5th. That wasn't fun was it. Maybe it wasn't just the umpire, maybe it's just too easy for rookie 1b men to pound your not so fastball over the fence in centre field.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playbyplay?gameId=260512108

[Guest Edgy DC]

How much pimp is too much pimp?

[Guest cleonjones11]

Still don't want Pelfrey..Worst that can happen is he flops. Bannister was only a midlevel prospect and he was fne until he tripped...twice..

[Centerfield]

I was ok with the "Wait and See" approach with Lima, especially considering they were expecting Bannister back quickly. But at this point, we have waited and seen, and it's clear Lima isn't the answer. Even for the short-term.

This team cannot continue to carry two gaping holes in the rotation...especially now since it looks like Bannister has had a setback. Time for Omar to show us what he's worth and get something done.

[Guest old original jb]

Lima's near 9 ERA does not seem to be a fluke.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

I concur with CF. I've waited and seen enough of Lima. Lima Time is over.

[Guest sharpie]

He must go NOW. Since Bannister is out for a while it is imperative that we find someone else for the rotation. Move Heilman in from the pen or make a trade for the likes of an Odalis Perez, just do it.

[Willets Point]

Put Lima in the pen and Heilman in the rotation and make an offer to a free agent.

[Guest KC]

Could you imagine Clemens becoming a Met and then sucking? I mean
first off, he'd probably get booed up the wazoo his first start or two and
if those starts weren't effective forget it. Secondly, I don't think he has
any intention of putting on any NY uni other than where he can play on
what I'm sure he considers the cathedral of baseball.

Oh wait, I think the board already had this discussion. Never mind.

[Willets Point]

Yup. I just have an agenda drum to beat.

[Guest KC]

I actually wasn't responding directly, can Mets fans imagine if ....

[Guest Edgy DC]

Assuming they are giving up on Lima, but still going to give Jeriome another stab or two, they have the following internal options.

Major League DL

John Maine, eligible to come off DL tomorrow, status unknown.
Brian Bannister, eligible to come off DL, status bleak.

Major League Bullpenners

Aaron Heilman (1.69 ERA in 21.1 relief innings)
Darren Oliver (4.08 ERA in 17.2 relief innings)

Heath Bell would look to be the first in line to replace Heilman on the roster. If they want to replace Olvier with a lefthander, they have a few options:

Juan Perez (3.91 ERA in 23.0 IP)
Ryan Cullen (4.50 in 6.0 IP, 3.12 in 17.1 IP in AA)
Royce Ring (2-0, 4.91 in 7.1 IP)
Blake McGinley (DL'd with 5.79 ERA in 4.2 IP)

They could also call up a batsman to take Lima's spot on the roster.

AAA Starters

Evan MacLane (2-0, 0.64 ERA in 14.0 IP, 3-1, 4.64 ERA in 33.0 IP at AA)
Yusaku Iriki (3.74 ERA in 21.1 IP, under suspension and ineligible for another month or so. Very disappointing.)
Tim Lavigne (4.13 ERA in 28.1 IP, only two of 15 appearrances as a starter)
Miguel Perez (4.50 ERA in 22.0 IP, 3.86 in 21.0 IP at AA)
Jason Scobie (7.52 ERA in 40.2 IP, eh, no)

AAA Starters

Willie Collazo (2.15 ERA in 50.1 --- I said 50.1 --- IP)
Alay Soler (1-0, 2.84 ERA in 12.2 IP, 2-0, 0.64 in 28.0 IP at A)
Mike Pelfrey (4.15 in 21.2 IP, 1.64 in 22.0 at A)

Leaving out the ineligibles, I'll rank the short-term in-house options thusly.

Heilman
Soler
Oliver
Pelfrey
MacLane
Lavigne
Collazzo
Perez
Scobie

Aa - Ron! Aa - Ron! Aa - Ron!

[seawolf17]

I was under the impression that the following were sorta truths:

(a) They started with Bannister in the rotation and Heilman in the bullpen because they liked the overall staff that way.

( They "said" (did they? maybe I'm making this up) that Heilman wouldn't slide into the rotation unless there was "some sort of extended absence."

How much more extended would they like to get? Send Lima somewhere, anywhere, as far away as possible. Like Peru (get it?). Slot Heilman in for a bit, and if you want to give Jeremi Gonzalez another start or two, okay. But you have two big holes and nobody to fill them. I don't see how this is even a question. Heath Bell can certainly give you what Heilman does out of the bullpen.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

] Like Peru (get it?).

I don't get it

[nymr83]

ScarletKnight41 wrote: ] Like Peru (get it?). I don't get it

our fine public school system at work.

[Guest Bret Sabermetric]

Dangerously close to implying that Scarlet is uneducated or willfully ignorant. I happen to know that she attended one of the finer private colleges in the U.S., where the geography department I'm sure covers South American cities, so you really can't blame the public school system for lacunae in her knowledge. In any case, commenting on other posters' lack of intelligence is a no-no around here.

[nymr83]

thank you troublemaker, but i think most people knew i was kidding and not seriously attacking the intelligence of one of our more intelligent posters.
i have no idea why you are trying to start shit between other people.

[Centerfield]

Pssst, Scarlet, Lima is the capital of Peru...named after the guy who invented beans.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Gotcha CF. Gracias (which is how they say thank you in Lima, Peru).

[Guest Bret Sabermetric]

Nymr83 wrote: thank you troublemaker, but i think most people knew i was kidding and not seriously attacking the intelligence of one of our more intelligent posters. i have no idea why you are trying to start shit between other people.

HELP!!! He called me a troublemaker! SAVE ME!! Personal attack!!! Unforgivable! I demand joooooostice!! RLF NOW!!!!! Arrrrggghhh!

"Gone to the finest schools, all right, Miss Lonely, but yuh know yuh only used to get juiced in it!"

OE: fixed Dylan lyrics

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Lima had some tough luck today, but on the downside he handled it like an absolute clown.

I don't mind that they tried him, not one bit, especially after offering two younger, high-upside guys first. But he's not working out.

I still like the idea of a trade here: Odalis Perez has been bumped to the bullpen and out of favor in LA. He couldn't be any worse and could come for a guy like Bell, or something.

[Frayed Knot]

Really in all three of Lima's starts he's probably deserved somewhat better than the result -- Today: horrible call at 1st (out by a half-stride) plus his own error and about the dinkiest bloop on the planet
... all of which would count for something only if the results were within throwing distance of good. Instead, he would have needed all the luck he didn't get just to get to semi-mediocre and that's not going to cut it.

As it stands now it doesn't look like they'll need a 5th starter until NEXT Saturday: Jeremi, Pedro, Glavine, OFF, Trax, Jeremi, Pedro, Glavine, ??, Trax

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

[duan]

yeah in every start he got some tough breaks which had little to do with his pitching ... BUT it's not like he was on the cusp of a no-hitter only to have it snatched away by a bunt single or anything.

I think Heillman's gotta be put in. He can get stretched out over this weekend by going for multiple innings rather then not; lord knows we're going to need someone to replace Gonzalez after a couple of IP. Bring him in as long man 2/3 times between and next saturday.

The reason I can't get over this is that they're acting like Bannister & Maine are basically locks to be good major league starters. That's just not the case.

By the way, i'd be well up for Odalis Perez - who could definitely be had for pennies on the $ seeing as he's getting starter money. My only fear is that they'll be a little scared of getting Kaz Ishii part 2.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The only thing duan fears is fear itself.

I fear his career is on a Lima track.

[duan]

y'know i hear where you're coming from on that but the advantage that the mets have as a large market team is that they can take risks during the season where the cost of acquisition is primarily $ whereas other teams may need to expend talent due to budgetary constraints. I accept that it's a risk; I suppose I just feel that it's a $ gamble I'd be willing to make; in that the 3/4 wins above replacement a 'good' Odalis Perez could be worth to you has huge marginal value in a division which is going to be extremely tight.

I think a bit depends on how much (if any) $ LA are prepared to eat, but if you said 'have him paying 60% of his this years salary and look after the rest yourself I'd be thinking about it.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Stuff out there this morning suggesting the Mets could look at Kyle Lohse (balking at a AAA demotion) and Joe Mays (released by KC). The latter bit -- from an artricle clearly labeled "RUMOR MILL" at BTF, also suggests that little Mexican lefty Oliver Perez of Pittsburgh might be available.

He's having a terrible year so maybe he's hurt. But he looked great in the past. Maybe he stopped roiding up.

Not high on Lohse's upside but he's 26 and has at least had a few competant campaigns.

Odalis Perez isn't speaking to reporters. By the way, Danys Baez has been a huge bust for the Dodgers -- they miss Duaner even more than we Seo, probably.

[Elster88]

Frayed Knot wrote: Really in all three of Lima's starts he's probably deserved somewhat better than the result -- Today: horrible call at 1st (out by a half-stride) plus his own error and about the dinkiest bloop on the planet ... all of which would count for something only if the results were within throwing distance of good. Instead, he would have needed all the luck he didn't get just to get to semi-mediocre and that's not going to cut it.

Also the second run in the first inning doesn't score if Beltran had thrown to the cutoff man for once in his Met career. On Rolen's single, that is.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Yeah, but if Lima had gotten his share of breaks, his ERA is 5.50 instead of 9.00. But don't we (A) probably still lose all three games and ( probably still need to dig further, but © have a team willing to give him one or two more chances?

The only difference to my thinking is that the Sheathful might curse his name less.

I knew Willie relaxed his grooming code this year, but Lima's look really suggests the whole thign has been trashcanned.

I want to look at Heilman, and look at him for a month, as a starter. My suspicion is we'll get Orlando Hernandez (Limariffic ERA currently for a right-in-the-thick-of-it Diamondback team). Maybe for Matsui. Who knows? Fans would probably go for it, ballooning ERA and all.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Lohse is a disaster. He's been even worse than Lima through 8 starts this season.

We should be able to get him for close to nothing (he just got optioned to AAA), but do we want him?

He's been around average over his career, and that's worth something, but I'd much, much, much rather give Heilman a shot than throw Lohse in there. Lohse at best is going to be a competent #5 guy, but Heilman could be a #3.