Tag Archives: Remainder

Jun 01

Don’t expect much change from Mets, Perez

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PEREZ: Holding fast.

I was listening to the radio this morning on the way home from the auto body shop – had a little problem this weekend – and the topic was how to fix the Mets.

I could have driven to Ohio and back and not touched on all the issues, but the synopsis was to cut loose Gary Matthews, Fernando Tatis and Oliver Perez – the dead wood they were called – and replace them with warm, eager minor league bodies.

Yup, that will do it.

“It will get the players’ attention,’’ was the conclusion. The Mets are a .500 club for a lot of reasons, the least of which are Matthews and Tatis, who, although hardly productive, don’t play that much to make an impact either way.

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May 24

May 24.10: Mejia to stay in pen.

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Until they change their minds again, the Mets have made a decision – hopefully definitive for at least the remainder of the season – on Jenrry Mejia.

The prospect with the million-dollar arm will remain in the bullpen.

Manager Jerry Manuel confirmed last night what many surmised after Manny Acosta was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo instead of Mejia to make room for Ryota Igarashi’s return from the disabled list.

“You have a young man who has a tremendous arm, tremendous upside,’’ Manuel said. “If you take what he gives you in small bits, it’s very serviceable, even at the big league level.’’

Several things went into the decision, notably when Mejia started altering his delivery Thursday in Washington. Altered deliveries lead to arm problems and the Mets want to nip possibility early.

During the series with the Nationals, Manuel had suggested Mejia was likely to be the one to go to the minor leagues to make room for Igarashi.

Starting might still be in Mejia’s future, but not for now, and you would be correct if you thought this move had something to do with Manuel’s immediate job future.

“If we wanted to have him start, he could start in the winter somewhere,’’ Manuel said. “But here, if he’s serviceable and if he’s usable, then I’d like to have him. It’s probably selfish on my part, but that’s how I feel.’’

With Igarashi back, the plan is for him and Feliciano to work the eighth and Mejia to work the seventh. Watching Mejia blow away Mark Teixeira Saturday night convinced Manuel.

“Basically, that was the plan all along,’’ Manuel said. “We felt that Igarashi could handle the eighth, and we needed someone to handle the seventh. I wanted to see Mejia pitch in this environment and see how he responded to it, and he did real well.’’

I only hope the Mets stick with this decision and not waver. To bounce him from role to role at 20 could be harmful to his development.

Mar 11

March 11.10: A plan for Mejia.

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Contrary to how they handled Bobby Parnell last season, the Mets seem to have a definitive plan for Jenrry Mejia.

He has been working as a reliever this spring, and that’s what he’ll do for the remainder of camp and in the minor leagues.

Manager Jerry Manuel sees that Mariano Rivera-like movement on his cutter and envisions dominance coming out of the bullpen.

Last year, Parnell was bounced around from being a starter in the minors, to a reliever for the Mets, then a starter and finally back to the pen. After the season he admitted being confused and his confidence shaken.

Mejia is 20 and has been scintillating in his role. It is easy to see how Manuel could be thinking about 94-mph fastball coming out of the bullpen, perhaps as soon as this year. In 5 1/3 scoreless innings he has given up two hits and struck out five with no walks.

It’s that no walks that’s importance. The reviews have been good but the presumption is he’ll open the season in the minor leagues, likely the Class AA level.

That’s the plan now, here’s hoping they stick with it.

Sep 17

Some perspective on Tatis

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This quote from Jerry Manuel on Fernando Tatis is surprising: “”When we lose Tatis, we definitely have to reassess where we are offensively.”

Huh?

He came out of nowhere and had a good season, but the truth is he is a role player. He was part of a platoon. You reassess with a full time starter.

The Mets will miss Tatis, and the cynic in me says they’ll do so because the Big Three has stopped hitting. Losing Tatis should mean more Daniel Murphy, and hopefully that will include against lefty pitchers.

There was a spark to the offense with Murphy batting second that has gone. The Mets need that back.

As far as Tatis is concerned, he gave the Mets more than they could have hoped for when they signed him and he deserves to be brought back.

Tatis separated his shoulder trying to make a diving catch on pitcher Odalis Perez’s double. He is gone for the remainder of the season and that includes the playoffs.

“He’s done,” Manuel said. “That’s very discouraging, to lose a big piece of where we are and what we’ve accomplished so far.”

Tatis hit .297 with 11 home runs and 47 RBI filling in for Moises Alou and Ryan Church.

Alou, by the way, hasn’t said anything about retirement.

Sep 15

Brewers dump Yost ….

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In a stunning move, the Milwaukee Brewers fired manager Ned Yost this afternoon following the team being swept over the weekend in Philadelphia.

Third base coach Dale Sveum, a former Yankee, will become interim manager for the remainder of the season.

“This was a very difficult move to make, and we appreciate all of the work that Ned has done to develop this team into a contender,” general manager Doug Melvin said. “In the end, this was a collaborative decision made to put our club in the best position for the final two weeks of the season.”

The Brewers are tied with Philly for the wild-card despite losing 11 of 14 games in September, including seven of their last eight.

I can’t remember the last time a manager was fired this late in the season despite being so close.