It’s still early, but who do like so far as the fifth starter? Did Park’s performance give you any confidence?
Mike Pelfrey
Philip Humber
Jason Vargas
Jorge Sosa
Chan Ho Park
Alay Soler
Aaron Sele
It’s still early, but who do like so far as the fifth starter? Did Park’s performance give you any confidence?
Mike Pelfrey
Philip Humber
Jason Vargas
Jorge Sosa
Chan Ho Park
Alay Soler
Aaron Sele
13 Comments
Pelfrey.
ditto.
After the first part of the season (when the 5th starter is rarely necessary), I like Pelfrey. But during that time I’d rather see him down in AAA getting a start in every 5th day. I think one of those other guys can hold down the fort for a few starts until then. We’ll need to see Park a few more times, obviously, but he seems like the likely guy to me.
Of this group, Park.
I would rather Pelfrey work on his offspead pitch in AAA for a month or so.
Who is #4?
Dave
To Dave (RE: No. 4)
I’m going with Glavine, Hernandez, Maine and Perez. The assumption, of course, is Hernandez is fine and there are no injuries.
Park needs to go to AAA to work on his pitches, but thats just my opinion.
I think the season will begin with Glavine, El-Duque, Maine, Perez and Park.
However, it would not surprise me if the rotation is 60% different after the AS break.
Best case scenario, Pedro, Trade, Glavine, Maine, Pelfrey – with Duque in the pen and Perez and Park away as part of the trade to bring in a top starter. I couldn’t guess at who that might be at this point…
I’d initially like to see Park, atleast for the 1st half of the season. I think Pelfrey just needs more time to refine his off-speed stuff and become comfortable and confident throwing his slider and change-up in a real game situation where there is no pressure to win games in the fishbowl of NYC. Rushing him too fast may be detrimental for his confidence and slow down his maturation.
It’s obvious that Glavine and Duque are in it and I can’t see anything that would prevent Maine from making the rotation, so that leaves 2 spots open.
I wouldn’t let Humber or Pelfrey open up the season in the rotation because of the fact they have never ever pitched a combined total of 200 innings in a season in thier professional career and are now expected to pitch that in one season? I wouldn’t want any of them to hurt themselevs, especially Humber, so that eliminates them.
That leaves Sosa, Park, Vargas, Sele, Oliver Perez, and Soler. Sele and Sosa just havn’t performed very well to this point, I know its early but its a pretty bad first impression so that eliminates them.
That leaves Park, Vargas, Oh-Pea, and Soler. I think Park has good enough stuff to make the rotation and it’s only one game but he performed rather well, he can strike people out.
That leaves Vargas, Oh-Pea, and Soler for the final spot. Soler would have to pitch lights out to make the rotation, he’d have to simply amaze.
Vargas is intriguing, we’ll see about him, he’s not walking people which is BIG plus.
And then there’s Oliver Perez, the enigma, my guess is the Mets will do anything in thier power to let him suceed. He’s either the 4th or 5th starter…
So my answer is umm, Chan “where da Ho’s at?” Park.
Gentry – If Perez puts his stuff together and is effective I don’t see the organization trading him. Power lefties with his kind of stuff are rare and too valuable to trade away. Minaya would LOVE a core rotation of Pelfrey, Perez, Humber and Maine. They are power arms that Minaya loves and they are cheap. It allows considerable payroll flexibility to acquire big ticket guys like Beltran and Delgado.
I kind of like the idea of Pelfrey starting the season as the 4th starter, with Duque and Park filling in the gaps as the 5th starter/long man early on. Once Dauner and/or Mota are available I think it will be time to either cut Park and keep Pelfrey, or send Pelfrey down to AAA.
I like what Pelfrey might give to open the season, rather than what he might give when he’s close to his innings thresh-hold. Pelfrey early, Pedro late, would be my plan.
But I expect Omar will give the job to Park, and send Pelfrey to AAA.
gentry,
The All Star break is a different matter.
I see Pelfrey being in our rotation by then. Who knows about the other guys? Humber looks ( from his one start ) not to be ready.
I am hoping that by then we trade to get a good starter once other teams get disallusioned with their lot in life and want to do a salary purge.
Perhaps Houston will be there and we can get Oswalt?
Dave
gentry,
Who in their right mind is going to take Perez and Park for a top starter? Do you think two mediocre-to-average pitchers equals one quality pitcher? I think not.
It’s apparent we’ve decided the answer- Perez and Maine make the rotation behind Glavine and Hernandez. We hold a ‘trial’ for Park, and if he’s OK, the 5th spot is his. IMO, screw the 5th spot. Why do we need a 5th starter? There is no evidence that pitchers throw worse on 3 days rest than 4. But that aside, it’s Park, with Sosa the long man and spot starter in the pen. Sele is forced to accept assignment, and with Vargas, Pelfrey, Humber and Soler round out the rotation at New Orleans. Who is the most major-league ready pitcher of those 5? Soler (and Sele). I think Soler will impress later in the season.