Category: Spring Training

The Mets Won’t Show Braves/Marlins Starters

Willie Randolph announced today that he won’t start Johan Santana and Pedro Martinez in their final scheduled spring training games. Instead they’ll start in minor league spring games. Randolph also said that John Maine probably won’t start the final spring game, the Civil Rights Game in Memphis either.
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This strategy is less about caring for the pitchers than it is hiding them from the Marlins and Braves. Three of the last five games are against these two teams. The first two series of the regular season are in Miami and Atlanta before coming home for the last opening day at Shea against the Phillies on April 8th.
The “hiding starters” strategy is standard operating procedure for the Mets. Frankly, I agree with it. I’m sure that Major League Baseball isn’t happy about it because they’re trying to make money at these last few games with marquis names. There’s no sense in showing starters to the division rivals before opening the season. Good job Willie.

Brian Schneider Playing Today

Injured catcher Brian Schneider is playing today for the first time in quite a while. He’s had a hamstring injury that’s severely limited his playing time this spring.

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Willie Randolph Won’t Coddle Martinez Again

SI.com reports that Willie Randolph says that he won’t have Pedro Martinez on a pitch count again this season. I don’t buy it! Randolph has managed the pitching staff in the classic late 20th-early 21st century fashion. He employs pitch counts and rarely lets starters finish games. He uses the formula late inning relievers regardless of the situational aspects of the games and point in the season.

Willie Randolph

Certainly Willie isn’t the only manager employing these tactics, as a matter of fact he’s in the company of almost every manager in baseball. It’s the style of the game today to closely manage starting pitchers to limit innings. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, it may keep pitchers from burning their arms, shoulders, and elbows out.

I don’t buy that Willie will change his style this year. Specifically, changing his style with Martinez doesn’t make sense. He’s 36 years old this season and coming off a 2007 in which he only made five starts at the end of the year due to injury. Martinez hasn’t pitched a complete game since 2005 (he had 4 in 31 starts).

I could see Willie running Oliver Perez and John Maine deeper into games. I’d like to see that. They’re younger players without a recent history of injury.

Time will tell but I’m not buying Willie’s big talk during spring training. It doesn’t jive with his historical record and common sense.

Photo courtesy of alpineinc

No Options Left For Ruben Gotay

Ruben Gotay will either make the major league team or have to clear waivers to be sent down. I doubt that he would clear waivers. The Baseball Analysts report on the biggest names in baseball that are on the bubble to make their teams and are without options.

I think that Gotay will make the team. Jose Valentin doesn’t bring that much to the table anymore and he has a neck injury that may require surgery. The surgery is potentially career ending.

Comparison: Gotay vs. Valentin

Gotay [25 years old]- 98 games .295/.351/.421    3 SB 3 CS    4 HR 24 RBI    25 Runs 190 AB 42 SO

Valentin-  [38 years old]- 51 games .241/.302/.373   2 SB 1 CS   3 HR 18 RBI   18 Runs 166 AB 28 SO

Gotay is marginally the better offensive player. Valentin has been in decline since he left the White Sox after the 2004 season. I don’t give much credence to Valentin being a veteran/coach on the team. The Mets are a veteran team that really don’t need that. If we were talking about the Marlins, I think the veteran/coach role would have more value.

Valentin should start the season on the DL with his neck injury. So the Mets won’t be forced to make a decision immediately. The decision to keep Gotay on the roster is obvious to me.