Starting Pitcher for 2010

[Guest Edgy DC]

I would think he's for AAA unless he kicks ass in the spring.

He doesn't strike me as a terrible bet.

[ashie62]

TransMonk wrote: The internet is abuzz that the A's might land Sheets.

better than being aflame

[Guest attgig]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Wang doesn't miss enough bats for me to ever be comfy with, plus he's a project, not due back till May.

had the same reservation about piniero, and glad they didn't get him. I'm still worked about pelfrey for the same reason. if we want in sinkerball pitcher, we need a better infield defense. hopefully reyes and wright are back to being above average if'ers... but that other side of the infield worries me a bit...

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Multiple sources-- though Buster Olney seems to be out in front of this, nationally-- say that the A's are interested and talking to Sheets, with no real inkling they're the frontrunner for Seaver's Daddy. JonHeyman-- among others-- say it's them, us and the Rangers... and he's of the mindset it's an "AL West battle." As Ben Sheets is not represented by Scott Boras, however, Jon Heyman's feelings are pretty much a non-concern.

[metirish]

Rubin's article today , a few interesting things , all the top men from the front office are in PSL.......

PORT ST. LUCIE - When Johan Santana delivers the first pitch of the Mets' season on April 5, Omir Santos very well could be behind the plate to receive the offering. What's more, John Smoltz could follow Santana in the rotation. With 23 days until pitchers and catchers report and the Mets' roster still a work in progress, chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon, GM Omar Minaya, assistant GMs John Ricco and Wayne Krivsky and manager Jerry Manuel huddled Monday at the team's Florida complex on Day 1 of a voluntary players minicamp. The Mets' brain trust still needs to decide whether to sign free-agent catcher Yorvit Torrealba or Rod Barajas or go with what the Mets already have behind the plate. Also at issue is how to round out the rotation, with Ben Sheets, Jon Garland and Smoltz the best remaining free-agent options. Team insiders say the Mets have been particularly active in dialogue with the 42-year-old Smoltz's reps and would use him as a starter. Still, one source labeled it a toss-up which pitcher the Mets could land to join Santana, Mike Pelfrey, Oliver Perez and John Maine in the rotation. Sheets, who did not pitch last season while recovering from elbow surgery, is looking for a substantial payday on a one-year deal, with Oakland and Texas reportedly among his most serious suitors. Regardless, Minaya feels like his winter work is largely complete, even as the Mets' roster continues to have openings. "We're close to the team that we're going to start with," Minaya said. "That being said, things can still happen during spring training. "Early on, we addressed certain areas as far as the bench by bringing on (Alex) Cora and by getting (catcher Henry) Blanco," the GM continued. "Our big piece, of course, was getting Jason Bay on board. We still need to fill some other needs. The catching front, if we need to go with the guys we have, we will. We're still talking to teams and also looking at some of the free agents. And pitching is something we have to continue to look at. There are some free agents that are available and we are talking to their agents." Daniel Murphy is the highest-profile position player at the voluntary three-day camp, and team insiders continue to project him as the starting first baseman. Minaya said he's spoken with Carlos Delgado and the veteran still wants to play first base rather than DH. But Delgado has looked slow at the position and limps, a Mets official acknowledged. More recently in winter ball, Delgado has served as a DH, which Minaya said was because the games are largely on artificial turf, which causes more of a pounding on the body than grass. While Minaya won't completely rule out re-signing Delgado, his troubles could pave the way for Fernando Tatis to be re-signed, or a comparable righty hitter for a limited role at first base. As for catcher, Manuel seems to favor Santos over Blanco, Chris Coste and Josh Thole if neither Torrealba nor Barajas is signed. "He has some familiarity, obviously, with the pitching staff, so he'll probably be the guy that if you had to rank them or whatever, he'd probably be the top-ranked guy right now," Manuel said about Santos. "And we definitely will continue to take a good look at Josh. The one thing about Josh that is definitely different than Omir is that Josh kind of balances out the lineup. He's a lefthanded hitter. We'll take a look at him and talk to the people who saw him in winter ball and see how much progression he made and go from there. It's not out of the question." Manuel also wasn't ready to anoint the newly acquired Gary Matthews Jr. the center fielder over Angel Pagan in Carlos Beltran's absence. "I still have to give Angel every opportunity to play as well," Manuel said. "He played extremely well there for us as far as statistically speaking. He hit .300, had a number of triples, a number of doubles. He played well. And at least the last couple of years he's started off real well. So we need that." Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2010/01/26/2010-01-26_mets_eye_upgrades.html#ixzz0dj8D4wnG

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

You gotta hand it to Omar -- he's not General Managing like a guy desperate to save his job.

[MFS62]

Regardless, Minaya feels like his winter work is largely complete, even as the Mets' roster continues to have openings. "We're close to the team that we're going to start with," Minaya said.

I'm waiting with nervous anticipation until I find out how he defines the word "close".

Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

I hope it doesn't end up being Smoltz. My issue with him isn't his time in Atlanta, but his age. I'd much rather have Sheets.

[ashie62]

The Oakland A's?

[Vic Sage]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: You gotta hand it to Omar -- he's not General Managing like a guy desperate to save his job.

or even like a guy desparate to DO his job...

[Guest Edgy DC]

I'd prefer Sheets also, but, being honest, a guy who didn't play last year is a similar risk.

[Centerfield]

They're similar risks. The difference is, to paraphrase Casey, Sheets has a chance to be good if healthy, while Smoltz has a chance to be healthy.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I guess. But there's a greater upside to Sheets.

[metirish]

Smoltz was just worse than brutal last year , wasn't he?

Bedard has a chance to be really good I think...

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Sheets is the one guy left that I think you should be willing to overpay for, knowing that the he could prove well worth the money and if he doesn't, well, it's only money. Having Neise and Figueroa in reserve while conducting a Sheets experiment is better, in my mind, than simply having Neise and Figueroa.

[Frayed Knot]

Also, if Sheets, as I've read in places, is looking specifically for a one-year deal so as to cash in big for next off-season, that alone reduces the risk.

[TransMonk]

Sheets is the answer at this point. If he gets away (it may be entirely possible that he does not want to pitch in NY no matter the offer), I'll still go with my original choice of Garland. While he is not a #2, he would have been the 2nd best pitcher we had last year if he were pitching for us.

If Smoltz is signed for the rotation, I'm writing this year off before pitchers and catchers.

[metirish]

Frayed Knot wrote: Also, if Sheets, as I've read in places, is looking specifically for a one-year deal so as to cash in big for next off-season, that alone reduces the risk.

That makes sense , if that is the case then factors other than money would come in to play for Sheets I would think, in his mind he must be looking at the teams talking to him and wondering where is his best chance for success. Oakland and Texas hardly fit that bill. Citi Field might.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The list of players who've taken less money to avoid New York is not large.

[TransMonk]

Edgy DC wrote: The list of players who've taken less money to avoid New York is not large.

True, but from what I saw in his Milwaukee days, Sheets is somewhat of a pussy. If he has a hangnail, papercut or dust in his eye he will take himself out of a game. I don't know that he has ever been booed as badly as he would be at Citi if he is making $8M+ in 2010 and gets off to a bad start. He has never been a big fan of the press (the Milwaukee press, mind you)...especially after things go wrong. In addition, I think Sheets is aware of his pussiness. If he is getting similar or slightly less money to pitch in Oakland or some other non-NY team, my bet says he takes it rather than come to the Mets.

[metirish]

Hardly sounds like a "foxhole" guy .

[Ceetar]

And he hasn't started in over a year. Gonna take some time to get into a groove you'd think.


As far as pitching goes so far rumors are the Mets may have made an offer to Smoltz and Omar says Nieve may be 5th on the depth chart at this point. (Which is a pretty worthless statement prior to spring and while he's still looking for another pitcher.)

[Guest Edgy DC]

Until Nieve shows how healthy, I've got Figueroa as number five.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

You splash the pot on Sheets. He's the only real difference-maker left out there.

But I'm not sure any of us gets Omar to quit slow-playing here. One almost wishes that he WERE feeling save-my-job urgency at this point-- really, with most everything in the Potential Overbuy catalog out of stock, I wouldn't mind seeing him pay double-freight on Captain PussyBoy over here.

[Fman99]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: You splash the pot on Sheets. He's the only real difference-maker left out there.

I'd add Bedard to the 'difference maker' category, with the same health-related caveat that Sheets has attached to him. Not that any one is talking about him for some reason. He seems likely to stay in the AL.

The rest of these guys are just fodder.

[Centerfield]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I guess. But there's a greater upside to Sheets.

Sorry, that's kind of what I meant with my clumsy joke. Both have a chance to be healthy, but only Sheets is good when healthy.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Danny Knobler steals Ed Price's thunder and reports Ben Sheets to the A's for 1 year, $8 mils.

http://danny-knobler.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/8590096/19783010

Disappointing. So this Bedard guy...

[Centerfield]

Very disappointing. I wonder what the incentives clauses are like. You'd think the Mets could beat that $8 million figure, unless Sheets didn't want to come here at all.

The Mets are so depressing. I'm going back to the Jets and Syracuse threads.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Or they didn't want to.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Seems to me that Sheets will come around again in July.