Category: Latest News

Mets Release Duaner Sanchez

Duaner SanchezThere’s been so much chatter recently about the Mets having a looming decision about whether to keep Duaner Sanchez or release him. I thought they would at least give him a look until the end of March.

By releasing him now the Mets are only responsible for one-sixth of his $1,687,500 salary for the 2009 season. The Mets didn’t have much of a choice after he got knocked around pretty well last season. He didn’t look great this spring either. I watched him get knocked around a bit yesterday against the Orioles. He was only able to hit 89 mph on the radar gun yesterday and that was high for him over the past two seasons.

From the NY Times:

“We looked at it, really, his over all performance based upon last year to what we see now and we didn’t see the improvement,” Minaya said.

This could end up being a good thing for Sanchez. He could sign a minor league deal elsewhere and have a chance to work his way onto the major league roster. He didn’t have options so the Mets had to keep him on the major league roster or release him.

After not pitching at all in 2007 after an accident in a taxi in July 2006, he came back last season to very mixed results. He had a 4.32 ERA and 1.320 WHIP in 66 games in 2008. He was really a shadow of his former self with very reduced velocity and couldn’t find himself as a finesse pitcher.

Santana Resumes Mets Spring Thursday

Johan SantanaMets ace Johan Santana will get back on the mound in a start against the Florida Marlins on Thursday in Port St. Lucie. The game is an unusual 7:10pm start on SNY and MLB Network.

Santana has pitched several successful bullpen sessions and batting practices since experiencing tightness in his left elbow.

If Santana pitches well this could quell some of the concern surrounding the fifthe spot in the rotation. Right now, with Mike Pelfrey slightly injured, Santana not ready to pitch in games yet, and the fifth starter candidates flopping badly Mets fans are extremely concerned about the rotation. And rightuflly so.

http://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/Javascripts/PisV3.jshttp://cdn.pis.picapp.com/IamProd/Resources/javascripts/DataV3.ashx?ImageId=714237&PublisherId=1326MLB: MAR 04 Spring Training - Mets at Nationals

If Santana and Pelfrey can solidify their spots this week it’ll go a long way toward making us feel like the Mets rotation is going to be okay this season. Mike Pelfrey is scheduled to start on Saturday against the Washington Nationals in PSL.

If all goes well with Santana and Pelfrey we can start to remember that the fifth starter is the the FIFTH starter. There are several guys that the Mets can rotate in and out to find soemthing that works. I realize that nothing is working at this point. But let’s worry about the first and second spots in the rotation this week as the priority.

Freddy Garcia Needs To Perform For Mets

Freddy GarciaI have to admit that I thought Freddy Garcia would be able to come in and lock up the fifth spot in the rotation quickly this spring. Just the opposite has happened. Here’s Garcia’s line from this spring so far:

 W  L  S  ERA   G GS CG SHO    IP   H   R  ER
0  2  0 20.22  2  1  0   0   2.2   5   8   6

Source: ESPN 2009 Spring Training Stats

I don’t think that Garcia is in danger of being cut immediately. But he is eating up useful innings this spring that could be used by a pitcher that has a shot at the major league roster. Since Garcia is with the Mets on a minor league contract he could be sent to Triple-A Buffalo. But he has indicated that he would want to be released rather than play in the minors.

If he keeps pitching to an ERA over 20, he may be in danger of being cut in the near future. He’ll face the University of Michigan team today which could be his last appearance in a Mets uniform if he doesn’t show that he still has some skills.

Mets Botch Santana Elbow Injury

Johan SantanaJohan Santana is still intent on pitching opening day in Cincinnati on April 6. Jerry Manuel wants Santana ready for opening day. Omar Minaya says that Santana’s elbow is fine. But pitching coach Dan Warthen says that Santana won’t be ready for opening day. Which way is up here?

I’ve written about this before so I won’t belabor the point, its beyond me how the Mets can let Santana continue to pitch without having some medical testing done on his elbow. There are MRI machines in Florida. So this story about sending him to New York for an examination is ridiculous.

I conducted a reader poll this week and 67% of respondants say they feel the Mets haven’t handled this situation properly. It’s time for the Mets to get it together when it comes to player health.

Johan Santana is a warrior and wants to pitch. I realize that after watching him pitch in 2008. So relying on his self-diagnosis to determine a course of action for his elbow stiffness isn’t realistic.

We don’t really know what the story is now. We’ve heard contradictory reports from the coaching staff, player, and organization. Be cautious and don’t take a chance on Santana being off the field for an extended period of time. That’s all we ask as fans.

Mets To Open Season Without Johan Santana

Johan SantanaSeveral media reports state that the Mets announed that Johan Santana will not be their opening day starter in Cincinnati on April 6th. His first regular season game appearance will be on Saturday April 11th in Florida, if all goes well.

The tightness in his left elbow will preclude him in appearing in a spring training game until at least March 18th. Although the Mets appear to be doing the right thing here, I have to question why he hasn’t been examinied in Florida or had an MRI. Santana doesn’t need to fly back to New York for an MRI, as had been previously reported.

I like that the Mets are being cautious with Santana, I just question if they’re being cautious enough. He very well may be the best pitcher on the planet. And the Mets are locked into six more years with him. The Mets need to start looking at the big picture and six more years is the big picture. Santana’s left arm is the most important asset that the Mets have as an organization right now. They need to be very careful with that asset.

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NY Post Tiring Of Mets Manager Jerry Manuel

Jerry ManuelI knew it wouldn’t be too long before a newspaper wrote a column about Jerry Manuel using them. As a matter of fact, I wrote about it last week. Manuel’s been working the media with his comments to his own ends.

But now the NY Post has had enough of it. Mike Battaglino wrote this post for their blog today. And I think it’s a self-serving indictment by a company that’s been used by Manuel since last June. The Post isn’t the only company that Manuel is using to motivate players, inspire confidence in others, and inform the fans and players of his methodology to manage the New York Mets.

Bart Hubbach of the NY Post even wrote a nasty post defending himself against everyone that said he misinterpreted last June’s “fetilizer” comment by Manuel. Adam Rubin of the Daily News and Keith Olbermann were named in the post by Hubbach.

Clearly, the NY Post as an organization has an axe to grind with Manuel’s style of speaking that can lead to sensational headlines by a paper like the post. Generally, I like the work that Hubbach does covering the Mets and it very well may be the editors that create the sensational headlines that we see. But in this case you have to be careful to understand the motivation that the Post would have to put this story on the back page.

I don’t think that Manuel has made communication gaffes. I think he’s a calculating speaker that uses the media to help generate the results from players and fans that he wants to see.

Mets Delay Santana’s Elbow Examination

Johan SantanaMets ace Johan Santana threw 35 pitches this morning at about 80-85% velocity. He reportedly felt fine afterward. But his trip to New York to have the injured elbow looked at was delayed due to the impending snow storm here in New York.

Pitching coach Dan Warthen and Santana seem to be at odds over the cause of the injury. Santana believes the aggresive throwing schedule that Warthen mandates caused the elbow pain. Warthen believes that Santana had an agenda to prepare himself for the World Baseball Classic caused the injury.

Either way, they just need to get Santana right at this point. After the throwing session today Santana told reporters (from NY Daily News):

“I felt fine. It’s the first time in the last four days that I threw, but I feel good. … As you throw more pitches, you feel better. That tells me we’re making progress and getting loose.”

As Omar Minaya told reporters, the important thing is that he felt good after throwing. Hopefully, he’s not trying to be a hero and telling the Mets that he’s fine when he’s not. Time will tell.

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