Aaron Heilman... What The Hell Happened?

[seawolf17]

Circa 2003-2004: Aaron Heilman is a failed pitching prospect who can't get anyone out, as a starter or a reliever.

Circa September 2005: Aaron Heilman is the most integral part of he Mets' bullpen. He's a trading chip who they'll never trade, unless they get the 1968 version of Bob Gibson.

Circa Winter 2005-06: Aaron Heilman, wonderboy of the 2005 pitching staff, is being bandied about like a shuttlecock. He's a starter; he's a reliever; he's an Oakland A; he's the closer; he's Billy Wagner's caddy; he's a starter, but only if there's an extended injury to a Mets starter; he's a setup guy otherwise.

2006: The Mets call in every pitcher who's ever started a game in the major leagues, including Jose Freaking Lima and John "I Swear I Was A Top Prospect Once" Maine, to fill in for injuries, while Heilman languishes in the bullpen. Meanwhile, poor, downtrodden Aaron Heilman reverts closer to his old form, walking the ballpark and generally causing fans to groan every time they see him warming up.

I thought someone (Willie? Ed Coleman? Omar?) said that they wouldn't use Heilman as a starter unless it was for the long term. Here's the question: How much longer term do you want? You have a guy (Sanchez) who does what you wanted Heilman to do, and you have a huge John Maine-sized hole in the starting rotation. What's up?

If he was pitching better out of the bullpen, they'd leave him in there because he's pitching well. Is it the case that because he's struggled, they'd rather leave him there because they're afraid he's going to struggle in the rotation? Like he could possibly be worse than John Maine and Jose Lima? I don't get it.

Heilman's going to be dealt for pennies on the dollar, and he's going to make the fucking All-Star team next year for the A's or the Phillies or someone. Lock that one up in the predictions thread.

[Guest Edgy DC]

A very few times in their history --- Tug McGraw, Neil Allen --- the Mets have gone against the grain and moved a reliever briefly into the roation to sort himself out.

I suspect they may be considering that, starting Heilman a couple of times in order to save him as a reliever.

[Elster88]

Why all the hate for John Maine?

[MFS62]

The most successful interim starter was Terry Leach.

Later

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

How about the possibility that Heilman's successful stretch was the anomaly?

I don't see any reason to trade him for pennies on the dollar, since he's not carrying a high salary, so there's no reason to try to get rid of him.

But if there's a trading partner who sees his upside and is willing to deal somebody who will be helpful to the Mets in the 2006 playoffs, I think you have to make that deal.

[nymr83]

i dont want to knock john maine, but the fact that the mets have gone to JOSE LIMA before givign heilman a shot is baffling.

[Zvon]

I understand that Willie didnt wanna mess with the pen in any way cuz it was working so well---
but Heilman has been bad there- the weak link.

And I agree with ya 83- when you go to Lima [u:ba5e08138a]a second time[/u:ba5e08138a], and overlook a guy right in your bullpen who has wanted a shot in the rotation-
baffling.

Heilman cant win-
He does good, he's too valuable to the pen.
He does bad, he's a risk for the rotation.

[Frayed Knot]

Not all that baffling.

The thing about 'Lima: Phase 2' is that it was pretty much certain that it was only a one-shot deal as the only reason he was out there was because Pedro's injury (added onto Bannister's and Zambrano's) came up at the same time as the pre-AS DH. Remember that he wasn't called instead of Maine & Pelfrey but rather in addition to them; IOW, he was the backup's backup's backup. Once we hit the 4-days-off/3-games-in-9-days stretch neither Heilman or Lima were going to start again no matter how they threw and they didn't want to yank Heilman out of the pen only to toss him back there again.

Now it doesn't seem like they want to give Heilman a start anyway - partly because they like their pen and partly, I suspect, because they think he'll be less effective there - but I don't think their reasons for starting Lima for that one game were all that complicated.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think we haven't seen this for 20 years, but the Mets are running away with the division and this is them acting like it. If they have a temporary need --- a spot start, for instance, or a brief need for somebody to bat first or second --- they'd rather throw a more disposable player in there than pull a guy out of role he's flourishing in.

It's a "don't upset the apple cart" mentality.

[Zvon]

Very good points about Lima2 FK, that I didnt consider.

But dont you think, while the back end of the rotation is so out of wack, Pedro out till ?, they should give Heilman a spot start or two?
A crack at the rotation?

One of the advantages of having Heilman in the pen is that he can easily make the transition out of it when the need be.
Regardless of his recent performance from out of the pen, dont you think we should see what we can get from him as a starter at this time, given the current state of things?

[dinosaur jesus]

I've been wondering all year why Heilman hasn't been getting a chance to start, but I think Oliver should actually be next in line. He's been going long innings anyway, and pitching very well.

[Frayed Knot]

Well, we've got Glavine + Trax + Duque

So, with Pedro out you go with Pelfrey AND Maine (maybe just one more time around the rotation anyway)
When Pedro comes back you go with Pelfrey OR Maine.

Or maybe they trade for someone later this month and Maine & Pelfrey finish out their season in the minors - but none of those scenarios involve the placing (or the need really) of Heilman back in the rotation.
And - since we all seem to agree that he looks worse lately than he has in a long while - I'm not sure this should be the spot where we figure out ways to get him more innings.

What we do with him beyond this year is a seperate argument for another time but I think he's in the pen for the duration of this year anyway.

[nymr83]

Edgy DC wrote: I think we haven't seen this for 20 years, but the Mets are running away with the division and this is them acting like it. If they have a temporary need --- a spot start, for instance, or a brief need for somebody to bat first or second --- they'd rather throw a more disposable player in there than pull a guy out of role he's flourishing in. It's a "don't upset the apple cart" mentality.

but they have a legitimate need to figure out who is starting game 3 of the NLDS and (possibly) game 4 of the NLCS, giving starts to lima isn't helping them decide that, giving some to heilman might.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think they've made it clear that they like the starters they have, when they're healthy, more than they like the idea of bumping Heilman from the pen, and they'll get plenty of time to look at them.

They're not nearly as desperate as all that. I think the main difference between sports decision makers and the the journalists who cover them is the urgency. To an observer, whose opinion has virtually no stake whatsover, it's an easy slide from what might be done, to what should be done, to what must be done. They want to be seen as peeps with strong opinions, and what the Hell, it don't cost nothing.

An opinion costs everything for the insiders, and, with plan in place and a 12-game lead, they're moving forward deliberately.

[seawolf17]

dinosaur jesus wrote: I've been wondering all year why Heilman hasn't been getting a chance to start, but I think Oliver should actually be next in line. He's been going long innings anyway, and pitching very well.

See, I can understand leaving Oliver in the bullpen; you have to have a long reliever, and he's been as good as it gets. If you start Oliver, you lose that. But if you start stretching out Heilman, you still have Sanchez and Bradford to fill that role.

BTW - no particular disdain for John Maine; I just don't want him pitching in a big spot in October.

[Guest Edgy DC]

If you start Oliver, Maine can be your long reliever. Or Lima. Or Pelfrey. Or Heilman.

You may need a long reliever, though (1) the Mets haven't particluarly had one for a few years, and (2) long relivers aren't needed that often, and they historically have doubled as spot starters.

For what is a spot start, but excessively long relief?

[nymr83]

the last "long-reliever" i think we had who was more than just a scrub 25th man on the roster was Maholmes