John Maine Signs with Marlins; Holiday Wishes From Rising Apple!

By Matt Musico
facebooktwitterreddit

Understandably so, the hot stove has cooled off over the past few days due to the Christmas holiday. However, there was one minor signing made by the Marlins yesterday, as they signed former Met John Maine to a minor league deal with an invite to Big League Spring Training.

Joe Frisaro of MLB.com was the first to break news of the signing for the right-hander. It’s been a tough ride for Maine since he made his last appearance in the Major Leagues with the Mets back in 2010. He went on the disabled list with arm problems that year, and seemingly faded away into the background. He spent five years in Flushing and put together a respectable 39-32 record with a 4.17 ERA and 1.82 WHIP. The Mets acquired him in a trade with the Orioles, and he actually ended up being the throw-in, as New York sent Kris Benson to Baltimore in exchange for reliever Jorge Julio and Maine. After starting 15 games in 2006 and going 6-5 with a 3.60 ERA, he found himself starting Game 1 of the NLDS against the Dodgers because Orlando Hernandez injured himself days before his start.

Sep 27, 2012; Flushing, NY,USA; New York Mets third baseman David Wright (5) is congratulated by second baseman Daniel Murphy (28) and shortstop Ruben Tejada (11) after hitting a three-run home run during the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PREWIRE

Maine had a couple of productive years in Flushing, but the constant injury bug got the best of him, which led to the Mets parting ways with him after the 2010 season. The Rockies signed him for the 2011 season, which he spent in Triple-A with Colorado Springs, but compiled a 1-3 record with a 7.43 ERA in 46 innings pitched. He spent 2012 in the Yankees organization, going 8-5 with a 4.97 ERA in 79.2 innings pitched for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre. Now that he’s signed with Miami, he has a legitimate chance to break camp in the Majors if he pitches well since the Marlins traded away starters Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle. I wish John the best; although he could never go deep in games because of his elevated pitch counts, I enjoyed watching him pitch because he left everyone on the mound.

On behalf of our entire staff here at Rising Apple, I wanted to take the time out today to wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday season. It’s hard to believe another year is winding down, as we’re only a week away from saying goodbye to 2012 and hello to 2013. Since I joined Rising Apple in April, it’s been a joy to share my joys and frustrations of being a Mets fan with all of you. It amazes all of us how many people read our work, and we’re so thankful for your support as we continue to grow as a blog. We appreciate all of you and the time you take out of your day to see what we have to say about our beloved team. We have a few new things on the horizon and we’re excited to roll them out for you! Enjoy the day with your family and/or close friends, and get pumped because there’s less than two months until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training!

facebooktwitterreddit