Mets get Dave Williams

[DocTee]

The New York Mets today acquired lefthanded pitcher Dave Williams from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for minor league righthanded pitcher Robert Manuel. Williams, 27, was acquired by the Cincinnati Reds in the off-season from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Sean Casey and cash.
In eight starts with Cincinnati this season, Williams was 2-3 with a 7.20 ERA. In 40.0 innings, he allowed 54 hits, 34 runs, 32 earned, with 16 walks and 16 strikeouts. On May 20th, in his fifth season in the majors, Williams was designated for assignment.

In 2005 with Pittsburgh, Williams established career-highs in every statistical category, compiling a 10-11 record with a 4.25 ERA in 25 starts. In 138.2 innings, he permitted 137 hits, 74 runs, 68 earned, with 58 walks and 88 strikeouts. Dave led the Pirates staff in wins, and was one of 12 National League lefthanders to collect 10 victories. He accumulated the third-best road ERA in the NL at 2.65, and Pittsburgh went 13-12 in his starts. Williams missed the final month of the season with a strained ribcage muscle.

Williams was named to the AAA All-Star Game in 2004 after going 6-2 with a 3.47 ERA (45 earned runs in 116.2 innings) in 21 starts for Nashville. He was recalled by the Pirates on August 2nd, and went 2-3 with a 4.42 ERA (19 earned runs in 38.2 innings) in ten appearances, six starts.

In 2002, Williams was placed on the 15-Day Disabled List on May 28th, and on July 11th, had season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He missed the first half of the 2003 season recovering from the surgery.

Williams was selected by Pittsburgh in the 17th round of the June1998 first-year player draft. In six seasons in the minor leagues, Dave put together a 40-23 record with a 3.28 ERA (217 earned runs/596.1 innings) in 112 games, 91 starts.

In 74 major league appearances (66 starts) with the Pirates and Reds, he has a 19-29 record with a 4.56 ERA. Williams has surrendered 360 hits, 208 runs, 190 earned, with 156 walks and 227 strikeouts in 374.2 innings of work.

Manuel, 22, was signed by New York as a non-drafted free agent on June 17, 2005. He went 8-1 with a 2.06 ERA in 12 games (five starts) for the Gulf Coast Mets ® in 2005. In 56.2 innings, he allowed 55 hits, 19 runs, 13 earned, with four walks and 49 strikeouts. Manuel tied for the Gulf Coast League lead in wins, was second in ERA, and fourth in strikeouts. Robert also appeared in two contests for the Brooklyn Cyclones (A) of the New York - Penn League, going 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA. He pitched 5.0 innings in two relief appearances, permitting five hits, one run, earned, with five strikeouts.

[Willets Point]

Maybe because of the MLB/Jewel connection earlier, I first read this as "Mets Get Dar Williams".

[nymr83]

I liked him last year on the Pirates though he's been terrible this year. We got him for next to nothing and i assume he'll go to Norfolk so this isn't big news, it'll be nice to have him if needed for an emergency start or three if he finds last year's form again.

[MFS62]

I duly noted his acquisition in the 40-man roster thread. But do we know if he was signed directly to a minor league contract, or added to the 40 man and then optioned out?

Those career numbers look pretty decent for a 27 year old lefty.
After all, "lefties develop later".

Later

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Hey, CPF, meet Dave Williams:


Oh, wait, that's wrong...Ladies and Gentlemen ... Dave Williams:


Nope. Sorry. Presenting ... Dave Williams!


Uh...


I mean...


Dave?


Is this thing on?


Dave Williams!


Nuts. Dave Williams!


Fukk! Will the real Dave Williams please stand up?!?


Not you, the other one!

Welcome Abordick.

[DocTee]

So this means that some combination of El Duque, Soler, Heath Bell and Dave Williams effectively (we hope) replace Julio, Lima, and Jeremi Gonzalez.


Me likey.

And 62, I'm sorry I missed your original post in the roster thread.

[MFS62]

DocTee wrote: Me likey. And 62, I'm sorry I missed your original post in the roster thread.

Me likey, too.
And Doc, no problema. I just wanted to call attention to that thread because of the 40 man roster implications of acquiring him. Don't have a formal answer yet.

Later

[Theoldmole]

I was wondering if they'd gotten the old New York Giants second baseman.

[Guest Edgy DC]

It�s worth noting that Robert Manuel was pretty awesome last year for Gary Carter�s frontrunning Gulf Coast Mets. He compiled a 1.04 WHIP in 56.2 innings along with 49 strikeouts and (can this be right?) 4 walks.

I can�t find any numbers for him this year, so I guess he was held out with the intention to send him to another short season team this season.

[Zvon]

Love that pic mole.

Alls I know is that I love that the Mets/Omar are/is doin stuff and not standing pat (not that they could the way things are going).
And from the vantage point of first place.

I like .

[Guest Edgy DC]

I disagree. I think they could've stood pat, for a little while at least. Yesterday's start suggested that Soler may be a serviceable fiffth starter, and a lot of data suggest that Aaron Heilman may be a quality third or fourth starter.

[Frayed Knot]

Dave "Tiger" Williams was the most penalized player in the history of the NHL

[Vic Sage]

]It�s worth noting that Robert Manuel was pretty awesome last year for Gary Carter�s frontrunning Gulf Coast Mets. He compiled a 1.04 WHIP in 56.2 innings along with 49 strikeouts and (can this be right?) 4 walks.

Is 22 an age thats old for rookie ball?
Was Manuel just physically overmatching much younger kids?

Still, it doesn't sound like we gave up "virtually nothing" to acquire a guy like Williams, whose numbers reflect a pitcher who'd have to improve alot just to reach replacement level performance.

his career ERA, BB/K ratio, WHIP... none of those numbers indicate a pitcher who has been an effective major league starter.

He's 27, and lefty, so peeps are seeing all kinds of upside.
But i don't.

PUT HEILMAN IN THE FUKKING ROTATION, YOU ASSCLOWNS, AND STOP DIDDLING AROUND!

[Willets Point]

Vic Sage wrote: PUT HEILMAN IN THE FUKKING ROTATION, YOU ASSCLOWNS, AND STOP DIDDLING AROUND!

Ditto. And fukk seems to be joining the CPF Lexicon.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, he'd have been 21 at the time, but yeah, he was likely older than most of his opponents.

Apparently, he was zero last year.

[nymr83]

]Is 22 an age thats old for rookie ball?

yes. you'll ocassionally see a guy come out of college, sign late (once the rosters for AA are set) and get assigned to rookie ball,but if he's still there in a month its likely because he is not a prospect.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I can't find any information if he was even drafted.

Gary Carter really had a mini-Tom & Jerry Show going with him and Jacob Ruckle last season.

Name	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	WP	BK	h9	hr9	w9	k9	whip
Robert Manuel	8	1	2.06	12	5	0	0	0	56.2	55	19	13	2	4	49	1	0	8.74	0.32	0.64	7.78	1.04
Jacob Ruckle	8	1	2.10	11	8	0	0	0	55.2	49	20	13	2	10	33	2	0	7.92	0.32	1.62	5.34	1.06

Ruckle, for what it's worth, remains in the system. A righthander who turns 20 tomorrow, he's currently 1-2, 1.77 in 20 1/3 innings (1.04 WHIP) for the St. Lucie Mets. He's got some good numerical karma. He was drafted in the 41st round of the 2005 draft by the Mets, and, on the day he was born, Ron Darling ran his record to 6-0 for the 1986 Mets.

Somebody adopt Jacob Ruckle before he gets traded also.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Not for nothing but Pedro Beato was born on a notable day in Met history himself.

[MFS62]

Even more reason why signing Beato would be neato.

Later

[apmorris]

"Dave Williams, the Oilers' starting right tackle, had stayed in Houston the previous night to witness the birth of his first child."

[apmorris]

[seawolf17]

[Willets Point]

I gather that Dave Williams is a common name. Imagine that.

From Kids in the Hall:

Bruce: [spoken] Hi, I'm Bruce McCulloch. I'd like to tell you about the Daves I know.

[singing: ]
These are the Daves I know, I know
These are the Daves I know
These are the Daves I know, I know
These are the Daves I know

David Hoffman
He works in my dad's store
He's worked here for 12 years
He'll probably work here for more

These are the Daves I know, I know
These are the Daves I know
These are the Daves I know, I know
These are the Daves I know

Dave Gort
I've known since I was six
In grade eight he broke his leg
So we got drunk and sick

These are the Daves I know, I know
These are the Daves I know
These are the Daves I know, I know
These are the Daves I know

Some of them are Davids
[Dave Gort: But most of us are Daves]
They all have their own hands
But they come from different moms

These are the Daves I know, I know
These are the Daves I know
These are the Daves I know, I know
These are the Daves I know

Dave Jadiski
Man, this cat can swing
He weighs almost 50 pounds
And he delivers my paper on time

These are the Daves I know, I know
These are the Daves I know
These are the Daves I know, I know
These are the Daves I know

Dave Capisano
I hardly know him
...
[bruce stands around, looking vaguely uncomfortable for the rest of the measure]

These are the Daves I know, I know
These are the Daves I know
These are the Daves I know, I know
These are the Daves I know

[Next two measures sung by the Daves Bruce knows: ] We are the Daves he knows, he knows
We are the Daves he knows
We are the Daves he knows, he knows
We are the Daves he knows

Some of us them are Davids
But most of us are Daves
We all have our own hands
But we come from different moms

These are the Daves I know, I know
[Daves: We are the Daves he knows, he knows]
[All: These are the Daves]

[seawolf17]

Oh, wait. Wrong Dave-CommonLastName combination.