GaryMrMets
02-17-2004, 07:59 PM
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/news/mlb_news.jsp?ymd=20040216&content_id=635838&vkey=spt2004news&fext=.jsp
02/16/2004 8:00 AM ET
Mets taking fifth into spring
Final starter for rotation to be determined at camp
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Jim Duquette knew there were pressing issues that needed addressing this winter.
There was the matter of getting a closer and shoring up the Mets' porous defense. There was also the right field question, which has been answered by bringing in Shane Spencer and Karim Garcia.
But what about the final spot in manager Art Howe's rotation? As New York prepares to open camp in Port St. Lucie, Fla., the club's general manager willingly admits that "the jury is still out" on how the back end of the rotation will shape up.
"The fifth starter's spot has question marks because no one has really stepped up," Duquette said. "That's why we were pursuing other options, like adding Grant Roberts to the mix. We also wanted to add a Rick Reed- or Scott Erickson-type pitcher to provide a little competition as a non-roster guy."
Duquette did indeed add Erickson, signing the veteran hurler to a minor-league deal earlier this month. Whether Erickson's surgically repaired labrum will hold up remains to be seen. He does provide the no-risk type of option the Mets were looking for, someone who could push Roberts, Aaron Heilman, Jeremy Griffiths and Tyler Yates, all of whom will compete for fifth starter's spot.
Naturally, Erickson's resume and his 140 career victories make him an attractive candidate if he's healthy. But his last few seasons have been wrought with a variety of injuries and surgeries, making him a gamble at best.
Roberts heads the list of in-house candidates. And because he is out of options, he is assured of a spot on the club, whether it's in the bullpen or the rotation. Roberts has also been injury-prone the last few seasons but he views that more of a by-product of his move to the pen.
A former starter, Roberts didn't start picking up his aches and pains until he was asked to move to the pen. He believes there is a correlation, but the Mets aren't so sure.
"I don't know if we'd be able to identify why Grant has been hurt," Duquette said. "I don't know if we have the answer to that. In Grant's mind there's a lot of stress in getting loose and getting up and down a number of times during a game and, at times, then not getting in the game.
"Those kind of false starts that relievers have, especially young pitchers, is something with which they struggle, things like when are you loose and how many pitches does it take to get loose?"
As for the remaining in-house candidates, the presence of new pitching coach Rick Peterson will certainly provide a lift and make each of them more attractive, particularly Heilman. The former Notre Dame star has struggled, never consistently having the same arm slot from start to start, sometimes from pitch to pitch.
When he dominated in college, his sinker was nearly unhittable, but as a pro the pitch has become more of a side-to-side pitch rather than the drop-away pitch that was so effective. Correcting those types of problems is a specialty of Peterson's.
"Rick has a lot of strengths, and one of them is identifying areas in mechanics that need to be addressed and creating a plan to work on those flaws," Duquette said. "He's really good. He gives the guys a simple, basic plan.
"He also puts in a lot of preparation. He creates a plan of attack for each of his pitchers and how they should attack the hitter. Those are things that all of our pitchers will benefit from, not just Aaron or Jeremy."
Other hurlers who will get a quick look during Spring Training but aren't considered serious options are Shawn Sedlacek, Scott Kazmir and Bob Keppel. Sedlacek was acquired from Kansas City last month in the Jaime Cerda deal, and Kazmir and Keppel are two of the club's brightest pitching prospects.
"We'll give Sedlacek a look, but he didn't pitch at the Major League level last year," Duquette said. "We like the fact that he pitched winter ball to get himself better. We are happy that he made the effort to try and improve, and we have decent reports on him from a couple of years ago.
"Kazmir and Keppel won't be there this year, but I don't want to rule out anything. I don't want to put that kind of pressure on them. It wouldn't be fair."
Kevin T. Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com. This story is not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://mlb.mlb.com/images/2002/04/01/y6vaqcHm.jpg
Scott Erickson was invited to Spring Training by the Mets to vie for the fifth starter's spot. (Nick Wass/AP)
http://mlb.mlb.com/nym/photo/ph_play_mugshot_150241.jpg
Grant Roberts /P
Height: 6'3" Weight: 205 Bats/Throws: R/R
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2003/06/26/8aaLV42Z.jpg
Aaron Heilman is one Mets pitcher who should benefit from new pitching coach Rick Peterson. (AP)
02/16/2004 8:00 AM ET
Mets taking fifth into spring
Final starter for rotation to be determined at camp
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Jim Duquette knew there were pressing issues that needed addressing this winter.
There was the matter of getting a closer and shoring up the Mets' porous defense. There was also the right field question, which has been answered by bringing in Shane Spencer and Karim Garcia.
But what about the final spot in manager Art Howe's rotation? As New York prepares to open camp in Port St. Lucie, Fla., the club's general manager willingly admits that "the jury is still out" on how the back end of the rotation will shape up.
"The fifth starter's spot has question marks because no one has really stepped up," Duquette said. "That's why we were pursuing other options, like adding Grant Roberts to the mix. We also wanted to add a Rick Reed- or Scott Erickson-type pitcher to provide a little competition as a non-roster guy."
Duquette did indeed add Erickson, signing the veteran hurler to a minor-league deal earlier this month. Whether Erickson's surgically repaired labrum will hold up remains to be seen. He does provide the no-risk type of option the Mets were looking for, someone who could push Roberts, Aaron Heilman, Jeremy Griffiths and Tyler Yates, all of whom will compete for fifth starter's spot.
Naturally, Erickson's resume and his 140 career victories make him an attractive candidate if he's healthy. But his last few seasons have been wrought with a variety of injuries and surgeries, making him a gamble at best.
Roberts heads the list of in-house candidates. And because he is out of options, he is assured of a spot on the club, whether it's in the bullpen or the rotation. Roberts has also been injury-prone the last few seasons but he views that more of a by-product of his move to the pen.
A former starter, Roberts didn't start picking up his aches and pains until he was asked to move to the pen. He believes there is a correlation, but the Mets aren't so sure.
"I don't know if we'd be able to identify why Grant has been hurt," Duquette said. "I don't know if we have the answer to that. In Grant's mind there's a lot of stress in getting loose and getting up and down a number of times during a game and, at times, then not getting in the game.
"Those kind of false starts that relievers have, especially young pitchers, is something with which they struggle, things like when are you loose and how many pitches does it take to get loose?"
As for the remaining in-house candidates, the presence of new pitching coach Rick Peterson will certainly provide a lift and make each of them more attractive, particularly Heilman. The former Notre Dame star has struggled, never consistently having the same arm slot from start to start, sometimes from pitch to pitch.
When he dominated in college, his sinker was nearly unhittable, but as a pro the pitch has become more of a side-to-side pitch rather than the drop-away pitch that was so effective. Correcting those types of problems is a specialty of Peterson's.
"Rick has a lot of strengths, and one of them is identifying areas in mechanics that need to be addressed and creating a plan to work on those flaws," Duquette said. "He's really good. He gives the guys a simple, basic plan.
"He also puts in a lot of preparation. He creates a plan of attack for each of his pitchers and how they should attack the hitter. Those are things that all of our pitchers will benefit from, not just Aaron or Jeremy."
Other hurlers who will get a quick look during Spring Training but aren't considered serious options are Shawn Sedlacek, Scott Kazmir and Bob Keppel. Sedlacek was acquired from Kansas City last month in the Jaime Cerda deal, and Kazmir and Keppel are two of the club's brightest pitching prospects.
"We'll give Sedlacek a look, but he didn't pitch at the Major League level last year," Duquette said. "We like the fact that he pitched winter ball to get himself better. We are happy that he made the effort to try and improve, and we have decent reports on him from a couple of years ago.
"Kazmir and Keppel won't be there this year, but I don't want to rule out anything. I don't want to put that kind of pressure on them. It wouldn't be fair."
Kevin T. Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com. This story is not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://mlb.mlb.com/images/2002/04/01/y6vaqcHm.jpg
Scott Erickson was invited to Spring Training by the Mets to vie for the fifth starter's spot. (Nick Wass/AP)
http://mlb.mlb.com/nym/photo/ph_play_mugshot_150241.jpg
Grant Roberts /P
Height: 6'3" Weight: 205 Bats/Throws: R/R
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2003/06/26/8aaLV42Z.jpg
Aaron Heilman is one Mets pitcher who should benefit from new pitching coach Rick Peterson. (AP)