The Mets’ pitching situation is fascinating. The team’s approach to filling out its staff has bucked the trend of other big-market teams during this off-season. Rather than splurge on blue chip, free agent talent, such as Barry ‘Satin Pillow’ Zito or Daisuke ‘Seriously, Who Knows?’ Matsuzaka, the Mets have opted to cultivate their young talent and sign some veteran drifter talent to shore up their staff. The Mets have struck an intriguing balance of quality versus quantity, a prescription that has the potential to work for this team. With the addition of Moises Alou and probably the best bullpen in the National League, the team should be able to overcome any deficiencies in the starting rotation.
Tom Glavine is the No. 1 starter, and you shouldn’t expect miracles from him; his patented 19-inch strike zone (as opposed to the official 17-inch one) has gradually been getting squeezed by umpires for the last three seasons since the emergence of QuesTech. His presence in the clubhouse is invaluable, however, and he should be good for at least 15 wins and a 3.70 ERA. His veteran leadership should also help nurture the talent of the prospects.
El Duque will be the second starter (until Pedro returns). His numbers last season would be a cause for concern, but his inflated statistics are skewed toward the beginning of the season, before he was a Met, when he amassed a terrible record with the Diamondbacks. Yes, he’s creaky and his age has a confidence interval of plus or minus seven years, but with the young talent ready he should be afforded an off day here or there, and he’s proved clutch in the playoffs.
It’s March and Pedro is throwing again, which leads to only one logical conclusion: that Omar Minaya is a certified Dominican Voodoo practitioner and is working his magic on his ace. Now we don’t purport to be doctors, but according to reliable sources, namely Dr. Optimism, Pedro could come back (actually being serious here) stronger than he has been in the past three years. A cybernetic rotator cuff could add a few mph back to his fastball and give his legendary breaking stuff enhanced leverage, once again making Alfonso Soriano and his $126 million a reason to tremble at the altar of the 5-foot-10, 185-pound saint of the strike zone. His injury could be a blessing in disguise, as he could be fresher come October.
The Mets have a myriad of precocious pitching talent from which they can select to complete the back end of the starting rotation. Most notable (though not exhaustive) among them are John Maine, Oliver Perez, Mike Pelfrey and Philip Humber. John Maine is a lock for the third spot in the rotation, proving his worth after getting called up mid-season and posting a 3.60 ERA. Maine demonstrates remarkable poise and toughness, and has what is regarded as one of the most explosive right-handed fastballs in the NL. Perez, acquired in the very sad Xavier Nady trade (we love you, X), is Rick Peterson’s pet project this year with the departure of Victor Zambrano (dreams can come true).
Perez is blessed with great stuff but is awfully inconsistent. As Ed Seyerlein, a local business owner and lifelong Mets fan, explained: ‘Perez is either Tom Seaver or Braden Looper, but never some competent compromise of the two.’ Expect him to be a fourth or fifth starter. Pelfrey should round out the rotation, at least until Pedro returns to full health; he is one of the most highly touted pitching prospects in MLB, and in an era deprived of pitching talent, he should be a solid (6-foot-7, 220 pounds, to be exact) bookend to the lineup.
This is where things get really interesting. Supposing a healthy Pedro, the Mets have about four talented guys to choose from to fill in the last spot on the roster. This could prove a winning formula for the team. Not only will it instill a sense of meritocracy to the roster, inspiring healthy competition among the young guns to perform, but it should also provide a hedge against any of the aforementioned hurlers getting injured. Any of these spots may be filled by the good drifter talent the Mets signed in Chan Ho Park and Aaron Sele, among others. If either of these guys shines in AAA, they will be at Shea in no time. They provide veteran insurance and should motivate the young talent.
In a nutshell, Mets fans should be concerned, but not alarmed. The team has hitherto failed to hire a mercenary (although the stellar outfield prospects would lend great leverage to any such pursuit) and the rotation is anything but glamorous. But baseball isn’t about glamor ‘ just ask ‘They hate me because I’m pretty’ A-Rod ‘ it’s about winning. We are cautious but confident that this team, with this eclectic staff under the tutelage of Rick Peterson, will win.