Continuing Careers of Ex Mets - 2011

[metirish]

#yankees people will at least discuss kazmir, if they haven't already. Could use another lhp in pen

It's silly but I wouldn't like to see him over there

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

What's got several dozen sets of thumbs and could ALSO use a lefty reliever?

And then we bring back Bonilla to earn his salary as a poker consultant. It'll be like a three-month long alumni reunion!

[Frayed Knot]

Of course no team is actually going to claim Kazmir on waivers because then they'd have to eat the sizable salary that remains (more than half the remaining $12mil for this season plus the $2.5mil buyout to get out of the $13.5 nut for 2012). He'll clear and then the Angels will release him at which point he'll probably have a decent choice of places to go for minimum wage tryouts and a shot at pen work.

On the other hand his 17.00+ ERA in the minors over 5 games (29 ER on 22 hits, 14 BBs, 6 HBPs in 15 IPs) doesn't hold too much promise at this point.

[smg58]

If Kazmir were smart he'd give up this season for lost and figure out what it would take to salvage his arm, assuming it's even salvageable. (He's not the only lefty ex-Met who should have gone that route.) Otherwise, give the Rays credit for buying low and selling high, and then move on.

[smg58]

The Rays also just released Chris Carter, who had an opt-out clause if he didn't get called up by now.

[A Boy Named Seo]

The Demise of Scott Kazmir.

Long story, short: fastball no longer fast. Poor lil fella.

[Met Hunter]

Jon Nunnally fired as Indians hitting coach.

[metirish]

Di the Marlins fire their coach? , been reading a lot all day about new managers there, even Jack McKeon, well according to tweets the Marlins have asked permission to talk to Backman.

[Met Hunter]

Chris Carter signed to a minors deal by the Mets.

Ruben Gotay signed to a minors deal by Atlanta.

Blaine Boyer released by Pittsburgh.

Casey Fossum on restricted list in Buffalo. Looks like he went home.

Juan Padilla signed away from the Bridgeport Bluefish to play for Yucatan of the Mexican League.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Bad news from Vacationland:

Maine leaves Sky Sox after another rough start June 22, 2011 | 4:19 pm | 2 By Jack Etkin Frustrated at his repeated lack of performance, veteran pitcher John Maine left Triple-A Colorado Springs after a poor start Monday. He will decide whether to retire or continue trying to come back from shoulder surgery last year. Maine gave up 10 hits and eight runs in 4 1/3 innings Monday against Tucson and threw a staggering 95 pitches, just 52 strikes, in his 11th start for the Sky Sox, a 9-6 loss. Maine is 1-3 with a 7.43 ERA and has 37 walks and 35 strikeouts in 46 innings. After Monday�s game, Maine, 30, spoke with Sky Sox pitching coach Doug Linton. Maine would like to continue playing, but with the lack of results, felt he needed to get away from the game. For how long, remains to be seen. Maine underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery July 23 to have scar tissue cleaned out of his joint. Maine�s shoulder problems began when a bone spur developed in 2008. The Rockies signed Maine to a minor league contract in the offseason and brought him to big league spring training. The hope was Maine could build arm strength at Colorado Springs early in the season and give the Rockies pitching depth. His contract stipulated he could leave the Colorado Rockies organization June 1 if he had an offer to pitch in the majors. That clause became moot as Maine was sidelined after a May 3 start until May 29 and continued to struggle.

[TransMonk]

I feel for the dude. He seemed like the type of guy that got really frustrated about pitching badly.

[metirish]

Pity the Maine , made nearly seven million in his career , his best seasons in 07/08 he was making the league minimum , washed up at 30, can't be easy.

[Guest attgig]

Blaine Boyer signs a minor league deal with the cardinals.

[G-Fafif]

Mike Cameron a Florida Marlin.

[smg58]

It would have been a great deal for the Marlins a month ago when they were ahead of Atlanta. Now? I'm guessing they think that a couple of weeks of full-time play will up his trade value to the point where they turn a profit.

[Guest attgig]

D'Backs To Release Aaron Heilman
By Ben Nicholson-Smith [July 18, 2011 at 11:45pm CST]
The D'Backs will release Aaron Heilman, according to Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com (on Twitter). The 32-year-old, who signed a $2MM deal with with Arizona this January, is about to become a free agent once again.

Heilman posted a 6.88 ERA with 8.4 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 38.5% ground ball rate in 35 1/3 innings of work this year. Bad luck may have contributed to an ugly ERA that was twice Heilman's xFIP of 3.44. He allowed a career-high .360 batting average on balls in play and a career-high 20% of fly balls against him left the yard. His average fastball velocity dipped from 92.3 mph in 2010 to 90.6 mph in 2011.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/07/dbacks-to-release-aaron-heilman-.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MlbTradeRumors+%28MLB+Trade+Rumors%29

[Guest attgig]

Met Hunter wrote: Chris Carter signed to a minors deal by the Mets.

saw this and was surprised. looked it up, he was actually signed by the braves...not mets.

[Edgy MD]

But we got us some Gustavo Chacin for the pitching-desperate Buffalo Bisons. At least the five-year-old Francisco Rodriguez-lovin' set will have a new begoggled hero to get behind.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Bring on the AAA Ringers! Trade Capuano and Dickey!!

[DocTee]

Jeff Keppinger hits lottery, goes from last-place Houston to world-champ SF.

[Frayed Knot]

Aaron Heilman: Released by Arizona

[Guest attgig]

Aaron Heilman: Signed by Phillies

[G-Fafif]

attgig wrote: Aaron Heilman: Signed by Phillies

"Smithers, I'm beginning to think that Ruben Amaro is not the brilliant tactician I thought he was.''

[Edgy MD]

Prentice Redman and Angel Berroa, Bridgeport Bluefish.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Argenis Reyes: Signed by seriously, I just used a racist word when I really meant "Guardians" from the indypendent NJ Jackals, assigned to Class AAA

[Farmer Ted]

Ollie, rocking double-A.

ERIE -- Oliver Perez carried a two-hit shutout into the seventh inning, and Erik Komatsu enjoyed his best game in a Senators uniform as Harrisburg bounced Erie 6-1 Sunday afternoon at Jerry Uht Park. The victory keeps the Senators (64-51) in first place in the Eastern League's Western Division and gives them a series triumph over the SeaWolves (55-59).

[Edgy MD]

I guess if you're still playing at 51, you have a continuing career.

Tony Phillips, in the independent minors, goes mano a mano with fellow ex-Met Mike Marshall, also 51.

[youtube:mcjbpuzu]uiW97eEpMtE[/youtube:mcjbpuzu]

Marshall comes away filing battery charges, but good luck with that. He entered the field of play, approached Phillips in a fighter's posture, seemed to be leading with his left, and looks to have about eight inches and 50 pounds on him. Phillips landed the big blow, but you threw down first, Mike.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

MFYs claim Raul Valdes on waivers from St. Louis, assign him to AAA.

Cashman loves x-Met lefties.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Has Pedro Feliciano pitched for the Yankees yet?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Has Pedro Feliciano pitched for the Yankees yet?

Nope.

heh heh

Feliciano's season appears to be over NEW YORK -- The Yankees seem about ready to turn out the lights on Pedro Feliciano, with the left-hander's chances of pitching this season appearing dim. Feliciano has been playing catch in Tampa, Fla., attempting to rehab a torn left shoulder capsule, but Yankees manager Joe Girardi is not optimistic. "He's not doing much," Girardi said, adding that he believes Feliciano's return is unlikely. Feliciano signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Yankees after leading the Majors in relief outings in each of the last three seasons with the Mets. If Feliciano requires surgery, he is expected to miss most -- if not all -- of 2012 as well.