Who are Your Bullpen Lefties?

[Edgy MD]

Sam Freeman � effective pitcher, but no track record as a lefty specialist. Checking his stats, he's got a reverse platoon split.

Xavier Cede�o � not as much MLB experience, but the splits are there, with a strong athletic frame.

[ashie62]

I am cranky it has come to this. The need has been obvious for lefty help for some time and here we are SOL , for now.

I wish I knew what Gee or Muffy would pull from lefty land.

Be well.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Edgy MD wrote: Sam Freeman � effective pitcher, but no track record as a lefty specialist. Checking his stats, he's got a reverse platoon split. Xavier Cede�o � not as much MLB experience, but the splits are there, with a strong athletic frame.

Yeah, but he's also kinda terrible in general. I'd rather kick the tires on a Burnett or Troy Patton, provided either is semi-healthy.

It occurs to me that someone like Franklin Morales-- who ended up signing with the Royals, I think, like three or four weeks back-- would have been perfect.

[Edgy MD]

Mets reportedly scouting Brian Matusz of the O's, former high-end starter prospect, later converted to the pen. What do you call this, where you grip the ball with the third and fourth finger? Is this a standard change up grip? A palm ball?



Got a lot of mileage over the last two seasons.

[ashie62]

Looks not far from a circle change.

The Orioles have a gaggle of bullpen lefties.

[Edgy MD]

Dario struck out Garin Cecchini with a runner on base.

Gilmartin started the next inning and instantly gave up a couple of hits and the tying run.

[nymr83]

There should be a "start the year without a Lefty" option. The loss of the platoon advantage could be cancelled out by the improved pitcher usage that comes from not having one!

[Edgy MD]

Perfectly valid point, but the poll is the poll. It's been posted since February.

And really, the poll isn't so much about what you think the team should do, so much as what you think will end up happening. Maybe we need a new poll.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Leather Tuscadero has been cut.

[ashie62]

Suzi Quattro is available.

[Frayed Knot]

Jim Duquette, writing a column for MLB.com on 'Trades that should happen before Opening Day', tosses in a four-team swap at the end where the Mets give up Cory Mozzoni and wind up with Baltimore's LHP Brian Matusz.

Specifically: Brian Matusz to Mets, Dioner Navarro to Orioles, Cody Ross to Blue Jays, Cory Mazzoni to D-backs

He acknowledges that four way deals are notoriously difficult to pull off and is really just mentally moving chess pieces around here, but he reasons that Baltimore needs Matt Weiters insurance (he's recovering from TJ surgery but played just one ST game before being pulled), Arizona has a surplus of OFs while Toronto is short of them, and the Mets of course could use an LHR or two.

Matusz (Matt-us) has been mentioned here and elsewhere before. He turned 28 last month and is a former 1st round draft pick (#4 overall back in 2008) who hasn't reached his hoped-for potential as a MLer.
The O's turned him to relieving two years ago where his numbers have been decent though nothing special and much better vs LHBs.
Making $3.2 mil this season, he'd be under team control for 2015 & 2016


http://m.mlb.com/news/article/115221732/5-trades-that-make-sense-before-opening-day

[Edgy MD]

I tend to think good pitchers become more effective in that specialist role the more they are used in it.

I still think it's more likely (and what isn't more likely than a four-way trade?) they get a lefty reliever by dealing off a backup catcher.

[Edgy MD]

One thing the Mets may be able to offer the Orioles is the right to retain Logan Verrett should they want to keep him but farm him out.

Maybe not enough on its own, but its something.

[smg58]

Gilmartin has been pitching noticeably better lately, which (assuming it continues through the week) is probably sufficient to bring him north.

[Frayed Knot]

The fact that he throws with his left wing is enough to get him to go north with the team.
Plus the whole Rule 5 thing.

StL dealt away one of their LHPs, Sam Freeman whose name was probably brought up in this thread earlier, to Texas for the always popular PtbNL.
Reportedly they contacted the Mets in advance of the trade but were told 'Not interested' - so the Mets either think a lot of Gilmartin plus whoever may be behind him, or they don't think much of Freeman.

[Edgy MD]

The funny thing is that, while neither Byrdak nor Rice knocked the world on its ass, they sure gave the Mets more than you might've ever expected, considering they both fell off the proverbial turnip truck, so I'm feeling some temptation to trust them on this.

I can see them going with Rice and Gilmartin and using them selectively through the first six weeks while trying to get Leathersich around the final developmental turn and bringing him up when one or both both of the other two falter, sorta like in 2012 when they identified Edgin during Spring Training as someone they liked, but kept him on the farm during the first half pushing him through his last developmental stages.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

They optioned Rice already.

I read where Verrett wasn't doing well enough for the O's to carry him, sure sounds like the start of a deal.

[Frayed Knot]

I suspect they're only taking one LHR north - at least to start the season that way and see how things develop re: Rice, Leathersich, etc.

[Edgy MD]

The stockpiling continues as the Mets go to the Rockford Aviators of the independent Frontier League and purchase the contract of Josh Smoker.

Josh was a Nats prospect who was really good in 2011, his first year in the pen, but then played only six games in 2012 and none in 2013, before throwing 29 independent innings of mid-90s heat last season.

I don't know if he was hurt or out of baseball in 2013, but he had shoulder surgery back in 2008. Likely to start 2014 in A+ with the Mets.