Zack Wheeler is just about ready…what happens now?:

Last night for Las Vegas, Zack Wheeler was tremendous over his 7.1 innings of work.  He gave up two runs (both earned), while throwing 99 pitches (61 strikes).  He allowed six hits, walked one, and struck out seven while lowering his ERA to 3.74.  I watched last night’s game, and Wheeler was in complete control.  His fastball was sizzling, and he was working in his secondary stuff beautifully.  Of the six hits he allowed, five were singles (the other was a homer).

Feb 23, 2013; Port St Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (65) throws in the third inning during a spring training game against the Washington Nationals at Tradition Field. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Over his last three starts, Wheeler has compiled the following line: 20 innings pitched, 14 hits, 4 earned runs, 3 walks, 19 strikeouts.

Sandy Alderson has always alluded to a possible “convergence of events” leading to Wheeler’s promotion, and we may be close to that convergence.  Wheeler dealt with both a blister and a mechanical flaw at the beginning of the season.  Since the blister has gone away and the flaw has been corrected, Wheeler has been fantastic.  At the major league level, the only reliable starter the Mets have at the moment is Matt Harvey.  Not only are the other four pitchers failing to keep the other team off the board, they’ve also been unable to work much past the fourth or fifth inning.

As noted above, Wheeler’s readiness and a dire need at the big league level seem to be converging.  Jonathon Niese, regardless of what he says, has been pitching hurt.  If he’s fine now, great.  If not, he should be placed on the disabled list until he is.  Shaun Marcum, who was on the disabled list for the first month of the season, has been a disaster.  If either of those pitchers are placed on the disabled list, it could pave the way for Wheeler.  If Marcum simply continues to pitch the way he has (serving up slop and failing to work past the fifth inning), he should be removed from the rotation.

Now, the “Super Two” cutoff is still a consideration (the date is now projected to be around June 4th).  If the Mets wait until then to promote Wheeler, he’d likely make four more starts in AAA.  So far, we’ve yet to hear any sources shoot down the possibility of Wheeler coming up in the next week or so.  We may yet hear someone shoot the idea down.  Either way, Wheeler’s debut is so close you can almost taste it.

Familia to the DL, Burke up, Francisco ailing:

As expected, the Mets have called up a bullpen arm (Greg Burke) to bolster the exhausted bullpen.  To make room for Burke on the roster, Jeurys Familia (who has been dealing with biceps tendinitis) has been placed on the disabled list.

Familia was just starting to come into his own a bit, so it’s unfortunate that he has to hit the DL.  Hopefully it’s a short term thing for him.  Burke, who broke camp with the team before being sent down to AAA, was quite bad during his brief stint earlier this season.  In 7.1 innings pitched, Burke had a 7.36 ERA and 1.77 WHIP.

Frank Francisco, who had been rehabbing, was unable to throw his scheduled bullpen session yesterday.  According to the beat writers, Francisco is now complaining of discomfort in his surgically repaired elbow and will be flown to New York to be examined by team doctors.  The Mets can forget about Francisco being activated any time soon.

The Valdespin saga:

The Jordany Valdespin bat flip that led to him being drilled yesterday has been the talk of twitter.  Now, it’s clear that Valdespin isn’t a favorite in the clubhouse – no one acknowledged him when he returned to the dugout after being hit.  Still, the “Valdespin is a cancer” narrative is getting a bit absurd.

First of all, Valdespin’s bat flip wasn’t that blatant.  I’ve seen much worse from players who are well respected.  Second, there are certain announcers who shouldn’t be acting all high and mighty regarding Valdespin’s antics (Ron Darling), considering they were a part of the ’86 Mets – a team that showboated its way to 108 wins.

Now, does Valdespin have some growing up to do?  Of course.  But to act as if he’s what’s wrong with the team and/or that his behavior is outlandish, is ridiculous.  You want to see outlandish on field behavior?  Go watch a clip of how the Dominican team acted during the World Baseball Classic.

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Terry Collins affirms Bobby Parnell is the closer when Frank Francisco returns — at least until Francisco gets some major league games.

— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN) May 7, 2013

Here’s the quote from Collins that Rubin was alluding to:

Frankie [Francisco] has got to show us that he can pitch back-to-back days up here — that he’s strong enough.  We’re talking three days in a row. Can he do that? The one thing I don’t think we’re ready to do is start to juggle our bullpen at this particular moment when Bobby [Parnell]  has done such a good job. We’ll wait until Frankie gets here to make those determinations.

Now, what is Collins thinking?  There’s simply no reason to even discuss the potential of juggling the bullpen (and Parnell’s role) at this point.  Obviously, if Bobby Parnell (or any closer on any team) gets shelled repeatedly, it’s time to discuss their job security.  Bringing this up today, though, was both pointless and foolish.  Terry Collins is actually leaving the door open for Frank Francisco to take over the role of closer from Bobby Parnell after Francisco “gets some major league games” under his belt.

Apr 13, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Bobby Parnell (39) delivers a pitch in the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. The Mets won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

That Collins said the above is absurd on many levels.  The first, is the fact that Francisco (who is nearing a return to the majors after missing the first month and change of the season while rehabbing his elbow) was absolutely horrific last season.  He had a 5.53 ERA to go with a 1.60 WHIP.  The second, is the fact that even if Francisco’s numbers weren’t atrocious, he’s in the last year of a two year deal.  Barring something strange happening, he won’t be a part of the Mets in 2014 and beyond.  The third, and biggest reason why what Collins said is mind boggling is the following: Not only is Parnell likely a big part of this team’s future, he’s been pitching lights out baseball in 2013.

In 13 innings pitched, Parnell has a 1.38 ERA and 0.62 WHIP.  He’s given up only 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 11.  The two games that went down as blown saves against him were both caused by defensive miscues, not Parnell.  The first blown save came when Ruben Tejada threw the ball away in Colorado, and the second came after Collin Cowgill‘s defensive mistake in Miami.

I simply can’t fathom why Collins would even mention the possibility of Francisco taking the role of closer back from Parnell.  All he had to say was “Bobby’s the closer.”  End of story.  Instead, he said something that will probably leave Sandy Alderson shaking his head while smirking in disbelief when he hears about it.  Just another instance of Terry being Terry.

Commentary from Michael Lecolant:

Some things are best left unsaid. Other times, people go too far and say too much – See Terry Collins. Problem is, I think Coach, Sandy Alderson, and even us civilians, are caught in a whirlpool of semantics. Elbow surgery aside, Frank Francisco was signed to be the team’s closer.  Entering Spring Training he still held that title.  Despite Francisco’s surgery and Bobby Parnell’s excellent start, the Mets never bothered to update their records and correct job descriptions – so to say.  In fact, I think both Collins and Alderson still firmly view Frank as the 2013 closer, if and when he is ready to resume the role, because as a free agent, that’s what he was brought here to do. At no time did I ever hear either Collins or Alderson lift the interim tag off Bobby Parnell.  So, in a sense, this matter goes a little beyond Terry Collins’ comments today. This actually brings Bobby Parnell’s 2014 role into question.  Will the Mets seek a trade or look into free agency for a new closer?  Or, will they allow Bobby Parnell a true, quality opportunity to nail down the job? Where the hell was the vote of confidence today?

I agree with Danny.  At present, Bobby Parnell is king of the hill.  Removing him from the closer’s role at this point for any reason other than poor performance would be ludicrous. It is not like one pitcher is lefty and one is righty. Parnell and Francisco do not, and can not form a tandem. In a figurative declaration, there can only be one closer.  This is now Bobby Parnell’s job to lose, instead of a role to be taken away from him.

In the spirit of fairness, Frank Francisco is on his way back.  He only blew three saves last season, while losing three others. Otherwise, he saved twenty-three games in forty-eight appearances, which is a somewhat low rate. As noted by Danny, his problem was issuing twenty-two walks, and allowing forty-seven hits in 41.2 innings pitched, for a 1.606 WHiP. He did, however, strike out forty-seven batters. The Mets’ downward spiral into the second division last season eerily coincided with Frank Francisco’s trip to the disabled list. Of course, there were many reasons for the Mets’ 2012 fall from contention. Frank’s return to action is still a good problem to have. Someone once said you can never have enough pitching.

Circling back to Terry Collins…if I were him, I would have said – “Bobby Parnell is doing a fine job.  There is no need to have this conversation. When Frank Francisco arrives, he will be expected to fit in, and contribute. If he happens to consistently out-perform Parnell during the season, you and I may revisit this conversation. Until then, Bobby Parnell closes games for the Mets. Thank you.”

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Feb 26, 2013; Jupiter, FL, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Jenrry Mejia (32) throws in the first inning during a spring training game against the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

To date, the largest criticisms levied against Sanday Alderson revolve around his two seasons spent renovating the bullpen.  As we know, last year’s relief corp was a collective failure.  So in preparation for this season, the GM recruited a host of new free agent nomads to join forces with the returning Mets pitchers.  Plan A involved starting the season with both Frank Francisco and Bobby Parnell leading the pack, with the hope Jeurys Familia and Jenrry Mejia would join them.  Instead, Bobby Parnell led a bullpen manned by LaTroy Hawkins, Scott Rice, Scott Atchison, Brandon Lyon, Greg Burke, Josh Edgin, and swing man (let’s include him) Aaron Laffey into April.  Before breaking camp, at least there was something to be said for Sandy Alderson’s apparent collection of depth – or so we thought.

Aaron Laffey’s stay with the organization was brief.  Sandy Alderson DFA’d Laffey in short time, and once exposed to waivers, he was claimed by Toronto.  Then of course, injuries always seem to factor into everything.  As we know, Frank Francisco never broke north with the team.  Recovering from off-season elbow surgery has been problematic for him.   This past Sunday, he finally climbed the mound again for the first time since April 20th.  On Sunday, he pitched one inning for the St. Lucie Mets and stuck out two batters.  Meanwhile, Jenrry Mejia is yet to throw a pitch in the regular season. He has been out with elbow inflammation, and may be back later this month.

Bobby Parnell is currently enjoying the most success he’s had in three chances at being the team’s primary closer.  Next in, Scott Rice has a low 1.80 ERA, but is battling control issues.  So far, the ancient LaTroy Hawkins has put in respectable work with a 2.77 ERA.  While Scott Atchison and Brandon Lyon have been a mixed bag of goods.  Atchison has a 3.68 ERA in 14.2 innings, with six walks and four strikeouts.  Brandon Lyon sports a lofty 4.38 ERA in 12.1 innings, but has only walked two batters and struck out ten.

It is obvious at this point of the 2013 regular season however, Sandy Alderson has already reverted to Plan B, which was tapping into Las Vegas for reinforcements and upgrades.  Greg Burke and Josh Edgin encountered early troubles which prompted Alderson to send Edgin to AA-Binghamton instead of Las Vegas, due in part over concerns regarding affects the Pacific Coast League has on pitchers.  Alderson had no such reservations with Burke however, who was sent to Vegas.  In their place, Alderson called up Jeurys Famila and Robert Carson.  In Familia’s case, he made one appearance for the Mets on April 4th, then was sent to Las Vegas where he made four more appearances before being recalled to Flushing again.  Robert Carson started out well in eight appearances with Las Vegas to earn a call-up, but has yet to come around for the big club.

Battling to maintain a .500 record, Las Vegas is not without their problems.  The 51′s bullpen is struggling mightily, partly because of the situation in Flushing.  Remaining relievers Dylan Owen, Greg Peavey, Sean Henn, and Justin Hampson all currently have more problems than a math book.  So Sandy Alderson can’t look there for much more help.  But depending how forgiving your personal scouting is, there are two relief pitchers left in Las Vegas who can potentially help the Mets if needed.  Gonzalez Germen, 25, has pitched in twelve games and 18.2 innings this season.  His ERA is up at 5.30, on nineteen hits, and eleven runs allowed.  He walked six, but has twenty-two strikeouts.  Armando Rodriguez, 25, has twelve appearances with 13.1 innings pitched.  He, like Germen, is a power pitcher, with nineteen strikeouts so far.  Otherwise, it is hard to overlook a similar 5.40 ERA, on fifteen hits, eight runs and eight walks allowed.  Minus one start for each pitcher in Buffalo last season, both Germen and Rodriguez are in their first seasons at AAA.  Perhaps by mid-summer they will have improved, and demonstrated enough proficiency to warrant a consideration.

At some point, however, odds say Sandy Alderson will  have to implement a Plan C.  On that note, there are some very interesting bullpen prospects gaining attention in AA-Binghamton, led by Jeff Walters and Jack Leathersich.  Walters, 25, currently has a 0.86 ERA after 13.1 innings.  He has surrendered twelve hits, issued two walks, and struck out twelve so far.  In eleven appearances, he leads Binghamton with eight saves.  In eleven appearances, Jack Leathersich, 22, has been nothing short of ridiculous.  After fifteen innings pitched, he has allowed ten hits, and struck out a whopping twenty-seven batters, but has also walked an unsettling eleven.

After making over one hundred starts in his minor league career, Mark Cohoon was moved into the bullpen this season.  In 15.1 innings, he has a 2.93 ERA.  He has seventeen strikeouts, while only walking four, but has allowed twenty-three hits.  John Church, 26, has a 2.40 ERA in fifteen innings, allowing fourteen hits, five walks, and striking out eighteen batters.  And lastly, Chase Huchingson, 24, has 16.2 innings pitched in twelve appearances.  He has allowed twenty-one hits, offset however by just four walks, and fifteen strikeouts.

Those are the remaining organizational options available for potentially bolstering the Mets’ bullpen this season.  However, I should stress – later in the season.  When the time actually comes to implement an aforementioned Plan C, Sandy Alderson may very well have quality pitchers to turn to.  Some may not be pitching all that impressively at the moment, and some perhaps need more experience at AA, but there is respectable work being conducted down below.  In the next two months, perhaps these pitchers can build better cases for themselves until the Mets actually do come calling.

By the dog days of summer, it is not a stretch to envision a bullpen featuring Bobby Parnell and Frank Francisco again, complemented by Rice, Familia, and Mejia.  I would recall Josh Edgin, to join LaTroy Hawkins from the left side, and maybe add Jack Leathersich and John Church.  Keep Robert Carson and Brandon Lyon on stand-by.  Do you have a preferred combination?

The point is, at least the Mets have a few more choices to operate with.  For now, I cling to the belief the Mets will have a stronger second half once the potential promotions of Zack Wheeler and other players takes place.  I believe a stronger bullpen will no doubt contribute to that end, and that the Mets potentially have the in-house arms to help get things turned in a more positive direction.

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