Next for Niese

[Edgy MD]

Two Months Down

Month	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	WHIP	SO9	SO/W
April	2	1	.667	2.74	4	4	0	0	23	28	11	7	3	9	0	14	1	0	0	108	1.609	5.5	1.56
May	1	4	.200	5.56	6	6	0	0	34	45	26	21	5	8	1	23	2	0	0	158	1.559	6.1	2.88

[fimg=400]http://www.newyorkmetsreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Jon+Niese+Pittsburgh+Pirates+v+New+York+Mets+nhyzkygPjq-x.jpg[/fimg]

Contract

Year	Age	Salary
2015	28	$7,000,000
2016	29	$9,000,000
2017	30	$10,000,000 Team Option, $500k Buyout
2018	31	$11,000,000 Team Option, $500k Buyout

[MFS62]

By some strange coincidence, his next scheduled start is within a day of Matz' next scheduled start.
I voted disabled with a bogus injury. The only bad side of that is that a player can't be traded while on the DL.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

You also can't DL a guy for a bogus injury either - or at least you can't do either (trade him while DL'd, or DL him w/o a real injury) without his cooperation and I think he'd agree quicker to a trade than to being mothballed without cause.

Funny how Niese's WHiP wasn't all that good in April either.
He's seemed to be simultaneously lucky and unlucky this year, lucky in that he survived as long as he did with so many baserunners (had the knack for getting 'the big out' early on), but also unlucky in that he's been the victim of most of the errors so far and almost all of the unearned runs.

Haven't noticed any dip in velocity lately which was so apparent whenever he had troubles over the last two seasons, so I don't know what to make of what's going on. He not only is giving up a lot of hits + walks but seems to be bunching them as well, two spotless innings will pass while it looks like he's on his way to a gem, and then the roof caves in.

[Zvon]

I don't know about Niese. I haven't a clue what to do about him. The stats will back up that he falls apart when rattled but what bother's me more is the way he looks at those times. He looks broke down and busted. Probably all the other choices are more likely but I'll hope for the rebound. He has before.

[Guest d'Kong76]

First vote for traded.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Seemed to me he looked like a different guy this spring, his arm has gone three-quarters, it doesn't seem like he misses many bats anymore and as mentioned above the amount of guys reaching base against him was sure to catch up eventually. I'm sure all this is service of dealing with a wing that can't do what it used to but isn't completely debilitating yet.

None of this ought to be news to the Mets, I think they see him as a kind of ornery guy who they;re willing to give the chance to reinvent himself as long as he doesn't kill them; but it's getting to that point.

Wonder if he'd go for the Steve Trachsel cure. (pre-arranged Vegas vacation, 2 weeks, luxury suite, only travels to starts)

[Benjamin Grimm]

I voted this, mainly because that seems to be the trend this season:

He is disabled with an heretofore unknown injury.

[Edgy MD]

Can he go down to Vegas? I'm not so sure his contract and performance level is so prohibitive that he could be assumed to clear waivers to be sent down, as have other pitchers. That's why I speak of phantom injuries. Sometimes the only way to send a vet down for a period is for him to be disabled and then visit the minors on a rehab turn.

I'm not doubting a vacation with a finessey lefty like Frank Viola wouldn't be a good thing, but I'm not sure Vegas is good for anybody's kahnfidence.

[TransMonk]

Looks like a 2011 Niese who gives up more home runs while recording fewer strikeouts.

Worries here.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

He certainly doesn't look like a guy with a repaired shoulder.

[G-Fafif]

Spinal stenosis, presumably. That's usually what it is when nobody has any idea what's up.

[Fman99]

Traded for a box of Big League Chew.

I think they DL him with a bullshit injury to keep him off the field for a few weeks. He's pulled his Meyerhoff tendon, I bet.