Since June 1, Mets starters are 40-24 (.625); Mets relievers are 14-8 (.636). The funny thing is that the record of the starters is propped up almost entirely by two guys you would not have expected (John Maine and Dave Williams are a combined 8-2 with a 3.18 ERA) and two who haven’t even pitched well in that period (Steve Trachsel and Mike Pelfrey are 14-3 with a 5.06 ERA). The rest of the staff is 18-19, including a 15-14 record and 5.06 ERA for Pedro, Glavine and El Duque.
17 thoughts on “Upside Down Rotation”
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This is why I hate the Wins category in Fantasy Baseball.
The Mets screwed up royally by not getting starters. Depending on Pedro (if he comes back at all), Glavine, the thoroughly mediocre Trachsel, and the long past his sell date El Duque was foolish. Winning a weak divsion by 20 games wonb’t mean much when these guys fold.
It’s the same thing that hurt the Braves so often. An easy divison win means you think you don’t need to improve. Yes, they Mets made some moves, but why pick up Shawn Green when you need starting pitching?
John, who was available? I don’t dispute the need, but how did they screw up? The only guy that moved, who would have fit well in the playoffs, was Wells. And he is a fat, drunken, ass; prone to beatings from wee Italian fellas. Maddux has helped LA, but nobody wanted him. Bottom line, Mets are schooling the NL with the top of the rotation shelved. That’s not a bad thing.
Off topic, wondering if any of the corporate lawyers who frequent the site have thoughts on the HPQ board spying/ID theft fiasco? Hearing Lockyer weigh in makes me nervous; I hope he can investigate the case without threatening Dunn with jailhouse rape.
Yeah, but they’ll school no one with that sad sack rotation in the playoffs.
For the right price, anyone’s available. Even guys with no trade clauses.
Yeah, the Mets are in real trouble when they get to the playoffs. How are they ever going to be able to compete with the other top notch rotations out there? I mean what if they have to play a team like the Dodgers and face Brad Penny twice in a short series? Look at how he schooled them yesterday.
Oh . . .wait. Nevermind.
Yeah, I’m real worried about the Mets.
Anything can happen in a short series, but I’m not that worried about the NL playoffs as far as the Mets’ pitching – nobody else has much pitching either, and if they’re healthy they’re more than a match for the Dodgers, who have the best rotation of the other playoff teams right now.
The World Series is another matter entirely.
I agree, Crank. John, I think anyone/everyone is available for the wrong price. In my opinion it is to Omar’s credit that he did not bid wildly in a sellers market.
Omar’s alternative to overpaying for B- and C-list starters was to attempt (and so far, succeed) to assemble a bullpen that can pitch five innings every night if need be in the post-season. I’ve never really seen another team attempt to do that, so it’s hard to say if it will succeed. My guess is that it will, at least throughout the NL playoffs.
Only one tean in baseball worries me: the only other team than can go run-for-run with the Mets.
That team, of course, is the Damn Skankees.
Actually, I think the Mets measure up rather well with the Yankees. The Mets have a better overall staff, and the lineup’s are about a wash. I might be more worried about one of the AL Central teams getting through, especially with those staffs.
Paul-
If it’s the Twins, they won’t be able to score enough runs to win the non-Santana starts. The Tigers staff has been in a second half decline (plus: KENNY ROGERS!), and the White Sox have a pitching staff?
But the Yanks? A .364 OBP, plus Jeter & Mo. I’m scared.
My point is that the Mets’ gaudy record is none too impressive in a weak division (and league) with an unbalanced schedule…and in a pitchers’ park, that makes their pitchers’ numbers look better than they really are. With this last fact in mind, they didn’t deal with their glaring weakness.
I’m not a Mets’ fan. I just think Minaya screwed up here. You don’t even know if your number one guy (Pedro) can go, and you’re not worried? That’s whistling past the graveyard. I don’t know about relying on the pen to go four or five innings every night-aren’t those guys (especially Heilman) desperately overused already?
BTW, Crank’s comment on this thread doesn’t agree with his own post. Remember he argued that every starter other than Williams and Maine has sucked the last few months, and I wouldn’t
want to rely on Williams myself.
Well, my point was that things have not been as expected lately. But I’d still rather have Pedro and Glavine and El Duque in a jam. What’s depressing is I assume Trachsel will be the 4th starter if they’re all healthy (maybe 3d) and Maine will be in the pen.
That changes things, a little bit anyway. If you put Trachsel fourth maybe you won’t have to use him at all. A lot changes if you know Pedro is healthy. Maybe Minaya and Willie aren’t worried about Pedro.
I was just looking up NL starters and the best looking bunch is probably Florida, who have to beat the Phillies this weekend (only if they can arrange a Mob hit on Ryan Howard) to have any hope of the playoffs.
Umm… who said the mets have decent pitching and the dodgers would maybe be the only other team that has pitching to compete with the mets? ha… wow. i almost died laughing. do you really follow baseball at all? i mean besides whatever games are featured on espn? the padres have a very small market team but have you researched or looked at any of their pitching? jake peavy is a HUGE big game pitcher, chris young is having opponents bat like .180 this month and wells is a postseason vet. plus they have the best closer ever and arguably the best overall bullpen in baseball. meredith didnt allow a run in like two months and linebrinnk is cluth. the mets have a huge offense but with pedro out and such lackluster pitching, i wouldnt be suprised to see the pads go to the series. call me crazy if you want… but just stay tuned into the playoffs. later guys