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02-14-2003, 02:40 PM
Feature News
02/13/2003 5:55 pm ET
Young Mets trio not concerned
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
Mike Bacsik spent much of the second half with the Mets last season, going 3-2 in 11 games (nine starts) with a 4.37 ERA. (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- The three pitchers who stand to be affected the most as a result of the Mets signing David Cone didn't seem too concerned on Thursday after learning that they would possibly have some competition for the fifth starter's spot.
Aaron Heilman, Mike Bacsik and Jason Middlebrook each said they understood why New York took a flyer on Cone. Yet, none said it would alter how they would approach Spring Training and the fight for the final spot in the rotation.
Cone signed a minor league deal on Thursday with the hope that he could supplant one of New York's young arms in the back end of the rotation. At worst, he would settle for a spot as the long man out of the pen. Should he make the club, though, it would have a direct impact on the future of the three young arms general manager Steve Phillips has been touting all winter.
Bacsik spent much of the second half with the Mets last season, going 3-2 in 11 games (nine starts) with a 4.37 ERA. The poise and confidence he displayed last summer has many in the organization willing to take a chance on him. And he's not ready to just hand a spot in the rotation over to Cone.
"If that's the way the Mets feel then that's their prerogative," Bacsik said of Cone's signing. "I came here to make this team and it's still my goal. This is a veteran team that has to win now. David Cone has the experience but whether that will show up after not pitching for a while, only David Cone and God know. At this point, that's the situation the Mets are in.
"I don't want to say that it's disappointing. Me being a left-hander that throws 86, 87 miles an hour and is unproven, there might not be the trust there yet. Everyone has to earn that trust. Tom Glavine, Al Leiter, Pedro [Astacio], Steve Trachsel, they all had to earn that trust. It's just a matter of getting the opportunity and taking advantage of it. I feel like I'm at a point of making a Major League team. As long as I pitch well, I see no reason for the Mets not to see me as a positive guy who can give them that extra piece, even out of the bullpen."
Bacsik has options remaining and could be sent back to Triple-A Norfolk. Middlebrook, though, is out of options. Based on how he performed last season after coming over in a deadline deal with San Diego, Middlebrook would appear to be a good fit on any Major League club.
He went 2-1 with a 2.66 ERA at Norfolk, including going 2-0 in his final three starts for the Tides, posting a 0.00 ERA over 18 innings. Middlebrook then made three September starts for the Mets, going 1-0 with a 3.94 ERA.
"The Mets are doing whatever they can to cover their bases," Middlebrook said. "We don't have a track record of success in the big leagues. Also, Cone is a no-risk situation for them. It doesn't hurt them to take a shot.
"I learned a long time ago that you could only control what you can control. So it's not so much as me versus him [Cone] or Aaron or Mike. It's me versus me. There are going to be a lot of factors going into the decision about the fifth starter's spot. Who is to say what they are. We'll see. I'm confident in what I can do and I'm sure Bacsik and Heilman will tell you the same thing."
Heilman isn't worried, either. He said that he's only concerned with getting himself in shape and having a good spring.
"My skills will dictate whether I'm in the big leagues or in Norfolk," said Heilman, the former first-round pick who was 6-7 in 27 games [24 starts] between Double-A Binghamton and Norfolk last season. "So I'm just going to do what I have to do to get myself ready and hopefully I'll have a shot at winning a job.
"The club is going to do what they feel is in their best interest. They feel [Cone] is going to be able to help. I'm not disappointed. I have confidence that I will make it to the Majors whether it's out of Spring Training, a month from now or a year from now. When I'm ready, I'll be there."
Phillips said that Cone's signing was not an indictment of the aforementioned trio. Rather, it was about the possibilities Cone might provide.
"If he just wanted to be a starting pitcher, it limited his potential," Phillips said. "We are bringing him in here to see where the best fit might be, not just as a fifth starter."
Wigginton not worried: The potential back enders in the New York rotation weren't the only one who had to answer questions Thursday about a veteran challenging them for a spot on the club. Third baseman Ty Wigginton survived the winter, emerging as the Mets' most promising option for third base.
But Phillips' 11th-hour signing of Jay Bell and Bell's subsequent remarks about wanting to start may have put Wigginton's plans to call third base his home on hold. Wigginton, however, isn't paying much attention.
"I try not to look at stuff like that," he said. "I'm just trying to think about what I have to do. If you're at all competitive, you're going to go out there and try to win the job. It doesn't matter if you're a veteran or not. You want to win the job. You just have to try to play the best baseball you can.
"I'm sure Vance Wilson takes the approach that he's going to come in here and be the starting catcher. He has to prepare himself that way. You can't look at the other stuff. You just have to do the best you can."
Manager Art Howe wouldn't speak in specific terms about third base other than to say it was one of the primary issues he had to address this spring.
"It's a competition," Howe said. "That's what the full six weeks are for and at the very end we'll make decisions and hope we make the right ones. Jay is a class act and had a nice career. He'll be a good addition to the club if he makes the team."
A vote of confidence: It appears as if the center field job is Roger Cedeno's to lose. While Howe isn't averse to a platoon situation, he seems to prefer having one man in the spot.
"If we have to platoon, great," Howe said. "But if we can get Roger into the lineup everyday at the top of the order, because he best fits at the leadoff position, it would be a nice fit for the lineup to have him out there producing. Certainly Roger has his foot in the door."
Quotable: Howe on the difference between Spring Training in Arizona and Florida: "It's going to take a few days to get acclimated. I was the youngest guy in the restaurant the other night which isn't the case in Arizona."
Late arrivals: Phillips announced that a few players and coaches would be reporting late to camp, among them closer Armando Benitez. It marks the third consecutive year Benitez has reported late to Spring Training.
"He called Art and myself and said he has personal issues he has to attend to," Phillips said. "He'll be here Tuesday and begin working out Wednesday. He did the right thing by calling. He'll be ready to go. We just saw him in the Dominican Republic a few weeks ago and he looked great."
Principal owner Fred Wilpon and Phillips were part of a huge Mets contingent to visit Benitez in the Dominican last month. Phillips, however, doesn't view Benitez' tardiness as a slight.
"It's not a slap in the face to the organization," Phillips said. "He handled it the right way and is within the rules."
Reliever Graeme Lloyd will also be a day late because of visa problems he is having in Australia. Bullpen catcher Nelson Silverio will also be late coming from the Dominican. He is a new addition to the staff and is expected to work with the Latin players. He was the general manager of the winter league team for which prospect Jose Reyes played. Reyes, meanwhile, will actually be coming to camp on Saturday rather than next Tuesday.
STILL LOOKING: Despite signing Cone, Phillips hasn't stopped shopping around for pitching. After watching free agents Robert Person, Donovan Osborne and Richie Lewis throw on Wednesday, Phillips indicated on Thursday that he was still open to other considerations and that signing any of the aforementioned players was still a possibility. He added that he wasn't concerned about getting all of his pitchers innings this spring, saying that the situation was "manageable."
02/13/2003 5:55 pm ET
Young Mets trio not concerned
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
Mike Bacsik spent much of the second half with the Mets last season, going 3-2 in 11 games (nine starts) with a 4.37 ERA. (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- The three pitchers who stand to be affected the most as a result of the Mets signing David Cone didn't seem too concerned on Thursday after learning that they would possibly have some competition for the fifth starter's spot.
Aaron Heilman, Mike Bacsik and Jason Middlebrook each said they understood why New York took a flyer on Cone. Yet, none said it would alter how they would approach Spring Training and the fight for the final spot in the rotation.
Cone signed a minor league deal on Thursday with the hope that he could supplant one of New York's young arms in the back end of the rotation. At worst, he would settle for a spot as the long man out of the pen. Should he make the club, though, it would have a direct impact on the future of the three young arms general manager Steve Phillips has been touting all winter.
Bacsik spent much of the second half with the Mets last season, going 3-2 in 11 games (nine starts) with a 4.37 ERA. The poise and confidence he displayed last summer has many in the organization willing to take a chance on him. And he's not ready to just hand a spot in the rotation over to Cone.
"If that's the way the Mets feel then that's their prerogative," Bacsik said of Cone's signing. "I came here to make this team and it's still my goal. This is a veteran team that has to win now. David Cone has the experience but whether that will show up after not pitching for a while, only David Cone and God know. At this point, that's the situation the Mets are in.
"I don't want to say that it's disappointing. Me being a left-hander that throws 86, 87 miles an hour and is unproven, there might not be the trust there yet. Everyone has to earn that trust. Tom Glavine, Al Leiter, Pedro [Astacio], Steve Trachsel, they all had to earn that trust. It's just a matter of getting the opportunity and taking advantage of it. I feel like I'm at a point of making a Major League team. As long as I pitch well, I see no reason for the Mets not to see me as a positive guy who can give them that extra piece, even out of the bullpen."
Bacsik has options remaining and could be sent back to Triple-A Norfolk. Middlebrook, though, is out of options. Based on how he performed last season after coming over in a deadline deal with San Diego, Middlebrook would appear to be a good fit on any Major League club.
He went 2-1 with a 2.66 ERA at Norfolk, including going 2-0 in his final three starts for the Tides, posting a 0.00 ERA over 18 innings. Middlebrook then made three September starts for the Mets, going 1-0 with a 3.94 ERA.
"The Mets are doing whatever they can to cover their bases," Middlebrook said. "We don't have a track record of success in the big leagues. Also, Cone is a no-risk situation for them. It doesn't hurt them to take a shot.
"I learned a long time ago that you could only control what you can control. So it's not so much as me versus him [Cone] or Aaron or Mike. It's me versus me. There are going to be a lot of factors going into the decision about the fifth starter's spot. Who is to say what they are. We'll see. I'm confident in what I can do and I'm sure Bacsik and Heilman will tell you the same thing."
Heilman isn't worried, either. He said that he's only concerned with getting himself in shape and having a good spring.
"My skills will dictate whether I'm in the big leagues or in Norfolk," said Heilman, the former first-round pick who was 6-7 in 27 games [24 starts] between Double-A Binghamton and Norfolk last season. "So I'm just going to do what I have to do to get myself ready and hopefully I'll have a shot at winning a job.
"The club is going to do what they feel is in their best interest. They feel [Cone] is going to be able to help. I'm not disappointed. I have confidence that I will make it to the Majors whether it's out of Spring Training, a month from now or a year from now. When I'm ready, I'll be there."
Phillips said that Cone's signing was not an indictment of the aforementioned trio. Rather, it was about the possibilities Cone might provide.
"If he just wanted to be a starting pitcher, it limited his potential," Phillips said. "We are bringing him in here to see where the best fit might be, not just as a fifth starter."
Wigginton not worried: The potential back enders in the New York rotation weren't the only one who had to answer questions Thursday about a veteran challenging them for a spot on the club. Third baseman Ty Wigginton survived the winter, emerging as the Mets' most promising option for third base.
But Phillips' 11th-hour signing of Jay Bell and Bell's subsequent remarks about wanting to start may have put Wigginton's plans to call third base his home on hold. Wigginton, however, isn't paying much attention.
"I try not to look at stuff like that," he said. "I'm just trying to think about what I have to do. If you're at all competitive, you're going to go out there and try to win the job. It doesn't matter if you're a veteran or not. You want to win the job. You just have to try to play the best baseball you can.
"I'm sure Vance Wilson takes the approach that he's going to come in here and be the starting catcher. He has to prepare himself that way. You can't look at the other stuff. You just have to do the best you can."
Manager Art Howe wouldn't speak in specific terms about third base other than to say it was one of the primary issues he had to address this spring.
"It's a competition," Howe said. "That's what the full six weeks are for and at the very end we'll make decisions and hope we make the right ones. Jay is a class act and had a nice career. He'll be a good addition to the club if he makes the team."
A vote of confidence: It appears as if the center field job is Roger Cedeno's to lose. While Howe isn't averse to a platoon situation, he seems to prefer having one man in the spot.
"If we have to platoon, great," Howe said. "But if we can get Roger into the lineup everyday at the top of the order, because he best fits at the leadoff position, it would be a nice fit for the lineup to have him out there producing. Certainly Roger has his foot in the door."
Quotable: Howe on the difference between Spring Training in Arizona and Florida: "It's going to take a few days to get acclimated. I was the youngest guy in the restaurant the other night which isn't the case in Arizona."
Late arrivals: Phillips announced that a few players and coaches would be reporting late to camp, among them closer Armando Benitez. It marks the third consecutive year Benitez has reported late to Spring Training.
"He called Art and myself and said he has personal issues he has to attend to," Phillips said. "He'll be here Tuesday and begin working out Wednesday. He did the right thing by calling. He'll be ready to go. We just saw him in the Dominican Republic a few weeks ago and he looked great."
Principal owner Fred Wilpon and Phillips were part of a huge Mets contingent to visit Benitez in the Dominican last month. Phillips, however, doesn't view Benitez' tardiness as a slight.
"It's not a slap in the face to the organization," Phillips said. "He handled it the right way and is within the rules."
Reliever Graeme Lloyd will also be a day late because of visa problems he is having in Australia. Bullpen catcher Nelson Silverio will also be late coming from the Dominican. He is a new addition to the staff and is expected to work with the Latin players. He was the general manager of the winter league team for which prospect Jose Reyes played. Reyes, meanwhile, will actually be coming to camp on Saturday rather than next Tuesday.
STILL LOOKING: Despite signing Cone, Phillips hasn't stopped shopping around for pitching. After watching free agents Robert Person, Donovan Osborne and Richie Lewis throw on Wednesday, Phillips indicated on Thursday that he was still open to other considerations and that signing any of the aforementioned players was still a possibility. He added that he wasn't concerned about getting all of his pitchers innings this spring, saying that the situation was "manageable."