Is there not one smart person in this organization with any common sense? Besides Omar and Jerry playing for their respective jobs this season, is there any reason to put a 20 year old Mejia in the bullpen?
The answer is no there isn't.
Putting Mejia in the pen is as horrible horrible move. Here are just a few reasons
1. Stretching Out His Arm:
Every year a pitcher is supposed to increase his work load 20-30 innings, eventually building up his arm strength to get ready to pitch 200 innings in the big leagues. Instead, Mejia will be get 60-70 innings. And then the Mets will ask him to take the ball every 5th day next year, have a huge increase in his inning count, and wonder why he hurts his shoulder. O, and remember how Jerry abused Putz and K-Rod last year? Using them for no reason when we were already down or had a big lead, and then was forced to pitch them in 3-4 straight games? Yea, get ready for that with Mejia.
2. Developing Pitches:
Remember all the hype around Mike Pelfrey and how we had to get him to the majors as soon as possible? Yeah, well look at him now. A few years later and he still can't throw anything but a fastball. Mejia's secondary is already much stronger, but when you're pitching 1-2 innings a game and it's a big spot, you aren't going to be messing around with some breaking balls that you aren't comfortable with. Putting him in the minors would give him a real chance to work on his off-speed stuff. Right now they have the potential of being "plus" pitches, but as of now their average or worse.
3. HE'S A STARTER
Taking a kid who has been a starter his entire career and making him pitch everyday when he's not used to it is a recipe for disaster.
So, basically, the Mets are overlooking the injury concerns that come with him being a relief pitcher, overlooking that it's going to stunt the development of his secondary, and probably don't even believe that a huge increase in innings from one season to the next has any correlation with shoulder/elbow injuries.
Only the Mets.
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No one in baseball would think that this was a good idea. It just gets harder and harder to root for this organization.
ReplyDeleteDusty Baker would.
ReplyDeleteWait - that's another reason this is stupid.
Rangers have Feliz in the bullpen. Red Sox put Papelbon in the bullpen. The Mets have decided that Mejia is a reliever and not a starter. Also, thats what happens when you have a GM and manager in jeopardy> They want the best available people to help them win.
ReplyDeleteu r absolutely right.
ReplyDeleteby all accts he has talent. he should be in AA learning to be a starter. Jerry is an idiot.
look what he did to parnell ( also a one pitch minor leaguer ). 6 inning guy to 8th inning guy to starter to pen.
jenrry needs to be as far away from sybill as possible.