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August 22, 2013 Mets 2013 Games Joe Janish

Mets Sign Daisuke Matsuzaka

The Mets have signed Daisuke Matsuzaka and announced he will start on Friday against the Tigers. Greg Burke will be sent down to AAA to make room for Dice-K on the roster.

See ESPN-NY for some facts and figures for Dice-K.

The deal makes good sense to me. The Mets have absolutely no one to fill the starts and innings that soon will be available when Zack Wheeler and Matt Harvey are shut down — not to mention the hole opened up with Jeremy Hefner going on the DL.

Though, there is a shred of me that recalls Hideo Nomo, Pete Harnisch, and/or Freddy Garcia … and wondering if Dice-K will crap the bed while in Flushing, then move on to reinvent himself somewhere else.

Thoughts?

Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.
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  1. NormE August 23, 2013 at 6:01 am
    There’s not much to lose. Just wish he had opened against a NL club that wasn’t as familiar with him.
  2. Dan B August 23, 2013 at 8:20 am
    Where is Orlando Hernandez these days?
  3. Walnutz15 August 23, 2013 at 8:26 am
    Was surprised to have that bit of news pop up yesterday afternoon, but keeping in mind that:

    – Harvey and Wheeler will be on inning limitation, along with

    – Both, Mejia and Hefner hitting the shelf

    It makes sense.

    (And I’m sure the potential for a bit of Japanese-interest, in the form of walk-up ticket sales for largely meaningless September contests, doesn’t hurt either.)

  4. crozier August 23, 2013 at 1:09 pm
    So the Mets Today community agrees with Mets management?

    Hmm. Sky still blue. Grass still green.

    I’m in agreement as well. This is actually a good long-term move – not for Matsuzaka, obviously, but for the arms he preserves by filling in. Hope he can keep the Mets in the game, though it’s a pretty tough first assignment.

    “Wondering if Dice-K will crap the bed while in Flushing” is another ace Janish quote, topped only by yesterday’s “His ineptness with the bat is an embarrassment to Janishes everywhere.” Keep it going, Joe; I’m loving it.

  5. murph August 23, 2013 at 2:20 pm
    Seems like a smart move: He is an experienced starter, it keeps Torres in the pen, no other viable options on the 40-man roster, keeps the top prospects in the minors (and off the 40-man roster).

    He may be past his prime, but why not give him a shot. Worst case, he gets shelled, and Torres ends up pitching tonight anyway.

  6. DanB August 23, 2013 at 2:56 pm
    while it might be the right move right now, the even better move would of been to have one or two pitchers in the minors who were not on inning limits. What would of happen if the Mets were in a playoff race (yeah, I know) and they had no starting pitchers left? Will this happen again next year?
  7. DaveSchneck August 23, 2013 at 3:29 pm
    As Dan B. coined the other day, I deem this a “cold pizza” move.
    • crozier August 23, 2013 at 7:20 pm
      Well, at least you resisted a “warm sushi” joke.
      • Joe Janish August 25, 2013 at 10:22 am
        There’s absolutely nothing good about warm sushi.
  8. DanB August 25, 2013 at 11:01 am
    I like taking leftover sushi and heat it up in a pan. It tastes a lot like fish.