No Physical for JJ Putz

Posted on February 1, 2010 by Joe Janish

While being interviewed by Chuck Garfien on Comcast Chicago (hat tip to MetsBlog), J.J. Putz admitted that he had bone spur in his elbow long before his trade from the Mariners to the Mets, the Mets were aware of it, and the Mets didn’t put him through a physical prior to making the deal official.

Skimmed from MetsBlog:

“When the trade went down last year, I never really had a physical with the Mets,” Putz told Garfien. “I had the bone spur (in the right elbow). It was discovered the previous year in Seattle, and it never got checked out by any other doctors until I got to spring training.”

According to Putz, the Mets told him not to discuss the injury with reporters, saying:

“I knew that I wasn’t right. I wasn’t healthy. The toughest part was having to face the media and tell them that you feel fine, even though you know there’s something wrong and they don’t want you telling them that you’re banged up.”

Um …

There are so many things wrong with this I don’t know where to start. Why would the Mets knowingly acquire damaged goods, especially knowing the high salary that came with it? Why would they give up so much talent in return?

The answer is simple: season ticket sales. The Mets latched on to the nonsense propogated by the media that the reason they missed the 2008 postseason was due to a terrible cast of characters in the bullpen (rather than the mismanagement of the bullpen, the lack of an extra slugger, piss-poor fundamentals, below-average defense, occasional lackadaisacal effort, or the fact the rotation was absent of a high-quality starter behind Johan Santana). It was easy to blame all the team’s woes — and in particular their second consecutive late-season collapse — on one scapegoat, the bullpen.

Once everyone bought in to the idea that “the Mets bullpen needs a makeover”, the signing of Francisco Rodriguez combined with the trade for Putz was a seemingly simple solution that would propel the Mets back into the postseason. Therefore, the story the Mets sold to prospective season-ticket buyers was: “we’re bringing back the same team, adding two elite relievers, so we’re a lock to make the playoffs — hurry and buy a ticket package lest you get shut out from the glory and celebration in October”.

It didn’t matter that Putz was damaged, and could possibly miss the bulk of the season. As long as the injury was kept secret, people would believe the Mets would have a fantastic bullpen — perhaps the best in all MLB — and therefore would easily trot to “meaningful games in October”.

Why else would a team send seven players to two different teams for a $7M player? Why else would they completely ignore a documented history of chronic elbow problems?

Further, why would a team allow a high-salaried pitcher with a known injury compete in the World Baseball Classic? Perhaps because if they didn’t, people would wonder why — and the injury could be revealed. Or, maybe the plan was to keep fingers crossed in hopes that Putz could stay healthy enough in short spurts to display his 95 MPH a few times — in turn getting Mets fans jazzed up to buy ticket packages in March.

This time, it’s not a conspiracy theory. This time, the Mets really did know something, and kept it from the public, for the sole purpose of ticket sales.

jason-bay-citiWhich makes one wonder about Jason Bay and the various concerns that caused the Red Sox to pull a 4-year contract off the table. Suddenly, we can’t be so sure to believe Bay’s assertion that he’s completely healthy. After hearing this news from Putz, we need to re-examine the detailed, bizarre story written by Rob Bradford of WEEI regarding what happened with Jason Bay and the Red Sox. Perhaps the Red Sox cautious approach was valid. Maybe there is a good reason that the Mets were the only other publicly known bidders for Bay’s services.

After all, the top “scapegoat” for the Mets’ failures in 2009 — after, of course, the injuries — was the lack of homeruns. The Mets’ “story” for prospective 2010 ticket buyers is this: “When healthy, we have a championship club. And now we just added a big-time slugger to hit some homeruns and really annihilate the competition. So hurry up and buy your ticket package lest you miss the glory and celebration in October!”

Sound familiar?

Of course, it doesn’t matter whether Jason Bay has potential injury issues that may creep up as soon as mid-season. All that matters is you phone in your ticket order — NOW. Leave the worrying about what happens after Opening Day to the Mets.

Posted in 09-10 Offseason | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Mets Sign Frank Catalanotto

Posted on February 1, 2010 by Joe Janish

frank-catalanottoOver the weekend, the Mets signed Frank Catalanotto to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

It’s about time.

If you are a longtime reader of MetsToday, you know I’ve been pining for Catalanotto for several years — going all the way back to 2006. In addition to my prefence for local products (Smithtown, NY), I’ve always coveted Catalanotto for his grit, hustle, and all-out play — he fits the definition of a “gamer“, or someone who can help give the Mets “edge“.

Beyond the immeasurable intangibles Catalanotto brings to the table, he also does enough offensively to keep the Beaneheads interested. More specifically, he has a knack for getting on base (.358 career OBP). He also sees a lot of pitches and doesn’t strike out often — he could be described as a “contact hitter”, and as such is a good choice for hit-and-run situations. Though some peg him as a singles hitter, he has a little more pop than most people realize. Don’t expect him to hit homeruns, but he can drive the ball into the gap and pick up some doubles. On the bases he once had above-average speed but at age 36 he’s likely lost a step, and was never a major threat as a basestealer. Still, he won’t clog the basepaths and he will be a smart baserunner, tending toward the aggressive side.

Defensively, he is adequate to average at 1B, 2B, and 3B, and plays a fair outfield (corners only). Statistically, his outfield numbers are not outstanding, but he won’t embarrass himself. He’ll catch what he can get to, throw to the correct base, hit the cutoff man, and will rarely make an error. In the field, he’s comparable to Fernando Tatis, with slightly stronger instincts and more experience both in the outfield and at first base.

One of his big positives — hustle — is also a negative in that his all-out aggressive play can lead to injuries. He’s had chronic issues with his hamstrings, back, and groin that could creep up again.

If this were three years ago, I’d be very excited to see Catalanotto on the team and would expect him to platoon somewhere. At this point, he is worn and aging and was only so-so in his NL debut last year with the Brewers, so I’m going to keep my expectations low — though I’m still thrilled that he’s finally a Met.

Where he fits in depends on whether the Mets intend to give any of their youngsters a crack at the 25-man roster and, of course, injuries that may develop during the spring.

“Omar [Minaya, the Mets’ general manager] said he needed a good lefthanded hitter off the bench,” Catalanotto said. “I know I’d have more opportunities, more at-bats in the American League as a designated hitter. But Omar said there would be some playing time in the outfield and at first base. And he thought they’d pinch hit a lot. This is an excellent opportunity.”

From my count, the Mets bench will consist of exactly five men, four of which are currently filled by the backup catcher, Alex Cora, Fernando Tatis, and Garry Mathews, Jr. Catalanotto would fit in nicely as a lefthanded pinch-hitter who can play multiple positions, but will have to fight off Chris Carter, Nick Evans, Anderson Hernandez, and a few other youngsters. Which is too bad, because I would prefer to see an open competition for two or three if not four bench spots; instead, everyone will be competing for one uncemented position on the roster.

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Rose-colored Glasses

Posted on January 30, 2010 by Joe Janish

Omar Minaya danced around discussed several subjects during his recent appearance on SNY, attempting to paint a positive picture of the 2010 Mets.

One issue in particular that struck me as disconcerting was his evaulation of the current Mets’ pitching staff.

Kevin Burkhardt pointed out the various question marks on the staff, nearly all of which are related to injuries. Minaya’s response was

“Kevin, every team will enter the season with question marks … there are always a lot of question marks with pitching.”

True enough, but no pennant-contending team has as many question marks as the Mets do when it comes to the pitching staff. They have no less than five starting pitchers coming off season-ending surgeries and two pie-in-the-sky candidates for the setup role. The fact that the Mets are hoping that many injured arms come back healthy is enough of a concern, but to me what is more worrisome is that Minaya believes a healthy Mike Pelfrey, John Maine, and Oliver Perez are good enough to comprise a playoff-bound club.

So not only is Minaya counting on everyone to come back 100% healthy, but he’s also expecting Pelfrey, Maine, and Perez to make great leaps forward in their performance as Major League hurlers.

With Pelfrey, I can understand optimism, since he is still relatively young (26) and can improve dramatically if he ever learns to command an offspeed pitch. Perez and Maine, though, are what they are — inconsistent pitchers with awful mechanics and concentration issues who won’t ever be more than average again. Actually, that’s not entirely true. Perez or Maine could once again win as many as 15 games IF they were under the guidance of a detail-oriented pitching coach — one who makes sound mechanics a priority, can teach / correct mechanical flaws, and implements focused, disciplined throwing programs. Someone like, uh, Rick Peterson — or perhaps Dave Duncan or Mike Maddux. Yes, Peterson rubbed a lot of veteran pitchers the wrong way, but he was a wizard when it came to clueless, mechanical distasters such as Maine, Perez, and Jorge Julio. Peterson had his failures (Victor Zambrano, Alay Soler), and is nowhere near the genius that is Dave Duncan, but his approach worked wonders with Maine and Perez specifically, as well as Pelfrey (it has always bugged me that Dan Warthen received credit for Pelfrey’s success in 2008, when he began his strong run while still under Peterson’s care).

Beyond the starting rotation, the bullpen is headed by a suddenly unreliable and velocity-losing K-Rod and a LOOGY (Pedro Feliciano). The rest of the relievers are … who? Kelvim Escobar, who has thrown 5 innings in the last two years and may not be as healthy as Duaner Sanchez was last April, is the next-best relief man. After Escobar is a wild splitter specialist from Japan named Ryota Iragashi (who has also seen his velocity decrease in recent years). Beyond that is fireballer Bobby Parnell — whose penchant for allowing baserunners recalled the days of the aforementioned Victor Zambrano — and sinkerballer Sean Green, who could most succintly be described as “underwhelming”.

Maybe I’m seeing the Mets’ pitching staff as a half-empty glass. But it’s clear that Omar Minaya sees the same personnel as half-full — and through rose-colored lenses. Most likely, the truth is somewhere in the middle. But unfortunately, somewhere in the middle is exactly where the pitchers will carry the Mets to in the final standings.

Posted in 09-10 Offseason | 4 Comments

Mets Sign Josh Fogg

Posted on January 30, 2010 by Joe Janish

josh-foggAccording to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, the Mets have signed veteran starter Josh Fogg to a minor-league deal.

Considering the Mets’ multiple question marks throughout the pitching staff, I see this as a smart, shrewd signing. In essence, Fogg is a healthier version of Tim Redding, but who also has better potential than Redding as a relief pitcher.

Ironically, Redding has signed with Fogg’s 2009 club — the Colorado Rockies.

By no means is Fogg the answer to the Mets’ problems in the starting rotation. At his best, he’s a .500 pitcher on a strong offensive club, and someone who rarely pitches far past the fifth inning. He’s very hittable and walks too many batters for someone who is so hittable (though, by Mets’ standards, he’s a “control pitcher”). However, he posted an excellent 1.13 WHIP in 2009 — the best of his career — pitching almost exclusively out of the bullpen. Though the Mets might see him as depth / insurance at the back end of the rotation, I would pencil him in, right now, as their top setup man — mainly because he less of a health risk than Kelvim Escobar, and has shown more MLB success than Bobby Parnell and Ryota Igarashi.

Wow. So that’s how low the Mets have fallen — to the point where Josh Fogg could be their best setup man.

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Mets Sign Fernando Tatis

Posted on January 30, 2010 by Joe Janish

The Mets have signed Fernando Tatis to a one-year contract.

According to various sources, Tatis agreed to less than the $1.7M salary he received in 2009. So, you could say he gave the Mets a “hometown discount”.

As mentioned a few days ago, I very much enjoy watching Fernando Tatis. However I don’t really believe he is worth a guaranteed MLB deal on a club that already has Alex Cora cemented on the roster.

It has been reported that Omar Minaya sees Tatis as more of a possible platoon partner to Daniel Murphy at first base than a super utilityman. Ironic, isn’t it, considering that Murphy / Tatis was the platoon plan for left field this time last year?

With this signing, three of the four open, non-catching bench spots are guaranteed (barring injury), consisting of Fernando Tatis, Alex Cora, and Gary Mathews. That said, there is one open spot on the 25-man roster for a position player / hitter.

Posted in 09-10 Offseason | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Garland, Sheets Off the Table

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Joe Janish

Remove the garland from the Christmas tree, and get Lazy Mary to pull the sheets from her bed.

A little late on this, but reporting it so you can post your comments — Ben Sheets agreed to a one-year, $10M deal with the Oakland Athletics, and Jon Garland signed a one-year, $4.7M deal with the San Diego Padres.

As mentioned in the previous post, Sheets + Oakland makes a lot of sense for both parties.

Garland, I imagine, preferred to be on the Left Coast, so it’s possible the Mets were never a possibility considering their Right Coast locale. Additionally, he has a nice opportunity to hurl a stress-free year in a huge pitcher’s park — a good formula for boosting his value when he becomes a free agent again next winter.

Additionally, former Cub prospect Rich Hill signed a minor-league deal with the Cardinals. The lefthander had a breakout season in 2007, then forgot how to throw strikes. This is a very under-the-radar move that could very well turn out wonderful for St. Louis. Can’t you just see Hill suddenly finding himself under the tutelage of Dave Duncan?

In other belated reporting, you may or may not have heard that the Phillies signed Jose Contreras to a cheap one-year deal. I don’t think the Mets were ever a player for his services, and I don’t believe he would’ve been a good idea. Most reports speculate that Contreras will begin 2010 in the Philly bullpen.

Finally, the latest buzz is that Jarrod Washburn is leaning toward the Twins and Mariners.

So, who’s left on the open market for the rotation? Looks to me like Braden Looper, John Smoltz, and Pedro Martinez are the best of the best. Ouch. In other words, Omar Minaya best be burning the phone lines talking trade with other GMs to find another arm or two.

Posted in 09-10 Offseason, Pitching Staff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Why Ben Sheets May Choose Oakland

Posted on January 26, 2010 by Joe Janish

bensheetsThe rumors swirling around Ben Sheets recently have included the Oakland Athletics, which may come as a surprise to some people considering their budgetary concerns.

But from Ben Sheets’ perspective, signing with the A’s makes a lot of sense.

For one thing, making a comeback in Oakland should be less stressful than, say, New York City, Chicago, or a similarly large market. Let’s not forget that Sheets spent his entire career in small town Milwaukee, so there’s a comfort thing. Besides the smaller number of press and journalists hounding him 24 hours a day, there would likely be less pressure for Sheets to pitch if he suffers a minor setback.

But also important is the fact that by signing with the Athletics, Sheets is almost guaranteed to be in the thick of a pennant race. How so? Looking at Billy Beane’s past history, one would assume that he would hang on to Ben Sheets as long as the A’s are contending. But if things look even slightly bleak, Beane will be sure to trade Sheets in July to a desperate team that is either fighting for a playoff spot or fending off close rivals while sitting atop the standings.

So in a way, choosing Oakland could be Ben Sheets’ best decision — presuming his ultimate goal is to pitch in the postseason.

Now, if his main goal is about money, that’s a different story entirely.

Posted in 09-10 Offseason | Tagged , | 9 Comments

Can the Mets Learn from the Jets?

Posted on January 26, 2010 by Joe Janish

jets_logoThough the New York Jets’ Cinderella story came to a crashing halt on Sunday, the team has nothing to be ashamed about. In fact, the season was by all means a success, compared to where they finished last year.

Toward that end, my friend Matt Cerrone contrasted the Mets’ annual lip service to the change in philosophy brought in to the New York Jets organization by Rex Ryan in a post titled “Opinion: The Mets Can Learn From the Jets“.

It was absolutely brilliant, on point, and remarkably … familiar.

Oh that’s right … I wrote a similar post with the exact same headline back in October, and reminded everyone of that same post this past Saturday.

Great minds think alike, eh?

Now, if every Mets blogger will write a similar post with the same headline, maybe — just maybe — Jeff Wilpon will pick up on the idea as something to implement.

Fingers crossed.

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