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April 19, 2009 Latest Mets News John Fitzgerald

The Nelson Figueroa Era is Probably Over

Nelson Figueroa dressed as Prince for Halloween (via MrIrrelevant.com)

Nelson Figueroa dressed as Prince for Halloween (via MrIrrelevant.com)

MetsBlog is reporting that the Mets have designated Nelson Figueroa for assignment, following the Mets 4-2 loss the Brewers.

Figueroa had a decent outing for the Mets as an emergency starter in place of the injured Mike Pelfrey. In order to make room for Figueroa, the Mets had to place reliever Darren O’Day on Rule 5 waivers.

Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog is understandably confused by this move:

…so, let me get this straight, essentially, the Mets just traded figueroa and Darren O’Day for fossum… i mean, there really wasn’t a more efficient way to bring on a spot starter for the afternoon… seriously, any time roster management comes to in play, i panic, because, while i believe Omar Minaya does a good job with major acquisitions, i feel he fumbles the ball a lot on these little moves…

I couldn’t have said it better myself…

John Fitzgerald is an independent film/TV producer. In 2007, he followed former Mets 2B Wally Backman and his minor league team for the TV show, "Playing for Peanuts." Click here for DVD ordering information NOTE: $5 from each sale goes to maintenance costs of MetsToday.com
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  1. sincekindergarten April 20, 2009 at 4:12 am
    They’ve purchased the contract of Casey Fossum to fill in for Figgy. While this gives them another LHP, Fossum will be the #5. Or will Bobby Parnell be moved into that slot, and Fossum be another LOOGY?
  2. Murph April 20, 2009 at 11:53 am
    So does Figueroa have to clear waivers in order to be sent down?

    Do you think he will?

  3. upson April 20, 2009 at 1:36 pm
    Yes, he does have to clear the waivers. And, according to Rubin, he probably will. Assuming he clears, I’m actually OK with the move. There’s no need to have both Stokes and Figgy (both RH long men) around – especially with Stokes still waiting to get more opportunities.

    Also, Casey Fossum is off to a good start in Buffalo. He is stretched enough to provide multiple LHP innings if necessary but also can take some of the workload off Feliciano. [The way Feliciano has been treated so far, it seems that it’s good to have a second lefty option anyway.]

    I just hope that both Fossum and Stokes get enough opportunities to prove themselves before the decision on them is made. [As opposed to O’Day situation which, in my opinion was resolved prematurely — especially given Nick Adenhart’s death.]

  4. mic April 20, 2009 at 9:10 pm
    ditto. i think O’dy’s heart was in anaheim.
  5. isuzudude April 21, 2009 at 9:11 am
    When I saw Figueroa get dropped like a bad habit by the Mets after a pretty impressive performance, I was as equally surprised by the move as Mr Cerrone. But after reading Upson’s comment, I can now see more of the rationality of the move. Like it or not, Brian Stokes is pretty much the long-man in the bullpen and has been since opening day. Yet, thus far Stokes has hardly been used. If Figgy remained in the pen after his start, the Mets pretty much had 2 of the same pitcher. That’s not necesarily a bad thing, but on this team, with Feliciano being all by his lonesome from the leftside in the pen, it behooved the Mets to try and get a second lefty reliever on the roster – something I had actually being calling for since ST. Casey Fossum might not be the answer, but he impressed enough in Buffalo to get the call, and the Mets can certainly use the 2nd lefty in their upcoming series against St Louis, what with the likes of Chris Duncan, Rick Ankeil, and Skip Schumaker in their everyday lineup. So sleep soundly knowing that O’Day didn’t have a place in the Mets’ pen due to the lack of necessity of a ROOGY, and that Figgy just wasn’t going to get enough work to justify occupying a roster spot. Tough decisions but I think Omar has made the right ones thus far.

    That said, it’s now up to Jerry to get Stokes and Fossum into a couple ballgames and give them a chance to justify their spots in the pen. We know what Feliciano, Parnell, Green, Putz, and Krod can provide, but a major league team needs to operate with more than just a 5-man bullpen.

    By the way, SK, Fossum will not be the #5, nor will Parnell. The rotation remains Johan, Pelfrey, Ollie, Maine, and Livan.

  6. Flaying Fossum : Mets Today April 22, 2009 at 10:29 pm
    […] It’s been a few days, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around the series of moves that, in the end, resulted in a “trade” of Darren O’Day and Nelson Figueroa for Casey Fossum. […]
  7. Mets Sign Lamb, Re-sign Figueroa : Mets Today April 25, 2009 at 11:04 am
    […] On a somewhat related note, the Mets have also re-signed Nelson Figueroa. […]