The Question Before You

[Edgy MD]

Has Logan Verrett created a situation? As with many players who pitch for a short time in a rotation, but flourish, a team may be tempted to look around for somebody to bump when the injured player returns. But this rotation? This rotation was mean to be impenetrable. Or almost anyhow.

One thing seems for certain: Bartolo won't be allowed a month of stumbles again like he was the last two years (both times finding his game and turning his season around, but still).

[TransMonk]

Colon's making over $7M this season, but I'd also guess he is believed to be the odd man out when Wheeler is scheduled to return in July. So, yes, I think his leash is shorter this year than it was last year due to Verrett's success. Of course, everything is dependent on the health (and relative success) of the rest of the staff. I'm hoping each Verrett start keeps Matz on his toes, too...but I'm less worried about him than I was a week ago.

Verrett deserves some sort of special reward for his spot starts which have been nothing less than excellent. He makes an embarrassment of riches even more embarrassing.

[metirish]

It is a great situation to be in , we are lucky , Verrett would slot in nicely to most staffs in the NL ....

[Lefty Specialist]

Not for nothing, but Bartolo's been pitching very well so far.

This falls into the 'nice problem to have' category. Pitchers get injured, so having a more-than-capable backup plan is a great thing.

[Frayed Knot]

TRADE HARVEY WHILE YOU'VE GOT THE CHANCE !!!!!!!!!












not really

[Edgy MD]

You mis-spelled "TRAID."

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I like Verrett but a situation wasn't created last night. I would think a better team bats him around a little more given his stuff last night.

That said, they're all coming to get Colon and Hovvey and de Grom. Moreso when Wheellie gets back.

[Edgy MD]

I was impressed that he could beat people with the heat upstairs last night. Yeah, it was indeed the Phillies, but that was a little more macho than I thought he had in him.

[Centerfield]

And he didn't even have his best stuff last night. So I was impressed by that.

But no, there is no situation. Even Dillon Gee looked untouchable for stretches of time.

[MFS62]

I'm having a Terry Leach flashback. The middle inning pitcher gets a spot start when the regulars can't. Pitches extremely well and then will be sent back to the bullpen when the regular starter(s) return. The only difference is Logan is younger then Terry was. So he may be auditioning for a job elsewhere. And I hope he stays. Someone will have to fill that swing-man role when Bartolo leaves.

Later

[RealityChuck]

metirish wrote: It is a great situation to be in , we are lucky , Verrett would slot in nicely to most staffs in the NL ....

But not in the AL, evidently.

The Rangers probably aren't happy with his success.

[Edgy MD]

What a season last year was in most respects, but it's an amazin' sidebarf that the team was simultaneously able to grab a good-but-not-neccessarily-ready-for-prime-time player through the Rule V draft, and reclaim a GbNNRfPT player a lesser team (TWO lesser teams) failed to carry after grabbing him in the Rule V draft. Talk about win-win. Thanks for helping Verrett get his feet wet on your time and dime, guys.

Matt Bowman, by the way, was taken by the Cardinals with the last pick of the first round this season. And he's hanging in there, pitching 6 2/3 innings over five games and yielding just one run. If you love your Mets, root for him to fail, so he can be Verretted back to the Mets forthwith.

Mets also lost righthander Octavio Acosta and shortstop Alfredo Reyes in the AAA phase while themselves passing every round.

Metsibling (despite what Frayed Knot says) Tyler Goeddel, who we've already seen a lot of, was the first Rule V pick this year, followed by two guys (Jake Cave and Evan Rutckyj) being snatched from the Yankees. Both of those have since been returned.

[dinosaur jesus]

MFS62 wrote: I'm having a Terry Leach flashback. The middle inning pitcher gets a spot start when the regulars can't. Pitches extremely well and then will be sent back to the bullpen when the regular starter(s) return. The only difference is Logan is younger then Terry was. So he may be auditioning for a job elsewhere. And I hope he stays. Someone will have to fill that swing-man role when Bartolo leaves. Later

Terry Leach is who I was thinking of too. Another difference, though, is that Leach really had trouble with lefties. That was what always held him back, and it's why he was a starter only when there was no other option. Verrett might very well end up a full-time starter somewhere.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Leach was funny. He was convinced he didn't struggle vs. LHP to the point where his refusal to alter his delivery when it was suggested to him by Cubs manager Jim Frey got him released by the Cubs. This was between his two stints as a Met.

OPS against was 127 vs. lefties and 80 vs. righties for his career. He also walked more lefties than he whiffed but I'll guess a good amount of those were intentional. I guess when you are a RHP throwing low-80s sidearm its just bound to happen.

[Edgy MD]

Mets had good continuity from Leach to Innis. That's almost nonstop goofball sidearming in the back of the pen from 1981 to 1993.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Omar believed in the sidearmers too, I think he always wanted the club to have at least 1 or 2 trick pitchers. Drafted Joe Smith, traded for Steve Schmoll, Sean Green, always Rule 5'ed some guy, employed Feliciano, signed Dickey etc etc.

[TransMonk]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Omar believed in the sidearmers too, I think he always wanted the club to have at least 1 or 2 trick pitchers. Drafted Joe Smith, traded for Steve Schmoll, Sean Green, always Rule 5'ed some guy, employed Feliciano, signed Dickey etc etc.

Bradford, Chad

[Edgy MD]

I know. What a freak that guy was, even if he takes the issue from spot-starting swingmen to ROoGYs.

[fimg=600]http://img.spokeo.com/public/900-600/chad_bradford_2006_07_29.jpg[fimg]

Has a connection Innis and Leach, too, because his dad was the chaplain for the AA Jackson Mets when those two were passing through.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Verrett did what a good swingman is supposed to do, and did it very well. Since his stuff isn't swing-and-miss, batted-ball luck is a big part of it, though, and that wouldn't hold indefinitely. If his control stayed this good, though, he'd have a shot at Colon-izing opposing hitters for a while... and, even in the minors, his control HAS been good. So... I'd at least throw him out there regularly, for anything middle-inning/multi-inning or mid-leverage (sucking up some of those of-late Robles innings)... or dangle him for that midseason addition, while knowing what he should command.

[Edgy MD]

I'm Logan Verrett, and I'm striking out 7.6 batters per nine innings in this young season. Matt Harvey? He's striking out 4.7. So, you know, swing and miss at this.

[Ceetar]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Verrett did what a good swingman is supposed to do, and did it very well. Since his stuff isn't swing-and-miss, batted-ball luck is a big part of it, though, and that wouldn't hold indefinitely. If his control stayed this good, though, he'd have a shot at Colon-izing opposing hitters for a while... and, even in the minors, his control HAS been good. So... I'd at least throw him out there regularly, for anything middle-inning/multi-inning or mid-leverage (sucking up some of those of-late Robles innings)... or dangle him for that midseason addition, while knowing what he should command.

.286 BABIP isn't really low/unsustainable though. the 92.9% LOB rate however..

He's got no real velocity either, so yeah you'd expect him not to really miss bats and what not, though he IS getting above average swinging strike percentages so far (Phillies! SSS!)

That said, he's an extremely useful cost-controlled piece right now. But you move him back to the pen now, or the minors if you want him as your 6th guy and stretched out. Shop Colon in June/July and don't worry about if you need to use Verrett for a stretch before Wheeler's back. Just maybe try to pitch him more against the Braves and Phillies rather than the Nats and Cubs.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Yeah, sorry... I said batted-ball, but meant grounders with RiSP/strand luck (like, inverse-of-hit-bunching).

Colon, you dangle, sure. But Verrett is an asset.

7.6 is better than Harvey, yes, but, hell, Bart's been striking out more guys than a Harvey.