Marlins Sign Kiko Calero

The Florida Marlins have signed Kiko Calero and Jason Standridge to minor league contracts, and invited both to spring training.

Calero, most recently of the Athletics, is a guy I’ve always been high on and would have liked to have seen the Mets take a gamble on. At one time he was a lights-out setup man, but has struggled with multiple injuries to his shoulder in recent years, culminating with a debilitating rotator cuff tear last March. Interesting that with all the pitch limits and kid gloves applied to pitchers these days, they still suffer career-threatening (or ending) rotator cuff injuries. Makes one wonder what is the point of all the limits.

Standridge is a guy the Mets gambled on a few winters ago, though he never made it to spring training. He pitched a few games in Japan last year.

I doubt either of these pitchers will make an impact in 2009. But there’s this tiny shred of possibility that Calero can do something, and this is my chance to show everyone how smart I was five months from now.

Speaking of relievers with shoulder issues, when are the Mets going to sign Chad Cordero to a minor league / incentive-laden one-year deal? Really now, what is the hold up?