2011 Spring Training – Page 10

SweetSpotting

February 17, 2011 by Joe Janish

Sorry for not posting something today; my writing time was spent filling in at the ESPN SweetSpot, which has a vacancy since Rob Neyer departed for SB Nation. There’s an article on protecting pitchers with pitch counts, one on baseball nicknames, and hopefully another one coming on baseball movies. Will be back in the saddle … Read more

Once Again, Would Mets Sign Pujols?

February 15, 2011 by Joe Janish

A little over a month ago I wondered aloud if the Mets would consider signing Albert Pujols — if indeed he became a free agent at the end of the 2011 season. Back then, the idea that Pujols would become a free agent seemed ridiculous — surely, the Cardinals would find a way to lock … Read more

Mike Pelfrey in Pinstripes

February 15, 2011 by Matt Himelfarb

NOTE: this is an article by Matt Himelfarb, so direct your comments to him.

Andy Pettite’s recent retirement has left the Yankees scrambling to fill not one, but two black holes in the back their rotation. As of right now, Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon, and Mark Prior appear to be the leading candidates to claim those two spots.

Make no mistake, Garcia, Colon, and Prior would make for a fearsome trio in MVP Baseball 2003, but Yankees fans might as well pray Roger Clemens has one more comeback in him (hey, legal fees are expensive).

Enter Mike Pelfrey.

Jenrry Mejia As Reliever?

February 14, 2011 by Joe Janish

In case you missed it, on Friday afternoon Adam Rubin of ESPN-NY reported that Dan Warthen envisions Jenrry Mejia’s future in a big-league bullpen — not a starting rotation.

So glad we’re all on the same page, guys. We wouldn’t want to continue to mess with the kid’s head, right?

Personally, I don’t know where Mejia ultimately belongs. The one thing I “see” in his future are a number of DL stints, due to his violent, inefficient pitching mechanics. Mejia began experiencing shoulder problems before he had the chance to legally drink a beer, and assuming he doesn’t change his motion, those issues could become chronic. We’ll see if any adjustments are made this spring, but I’m doubting it, considering that Warthen described Mejia’s delivery as “solid and repeatable” this time last year.

If Mejia will be prone to arm issues going forward, in which role is he more suited — reliever or starter?