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Find me a Pitcher

Edgy DC Oct 26 2007 08:14 AM Edited 5 time(s), most recently on Oct 31 2007 09:18 PM

Here's 40 more-or-less free agent eligible starting pitcher guys. Sure, some of them are more likely to continue their careers than others, but there it is. Next to each is the name of one of 40 more or less active posters. Meditate on your guy. Research him. Tell us his pluses, his minuses, his upside, his downside, his health status, what it would honestly cost the Mets to sign him, whether it would be worth it. Would it be disastrous? Just how disastrous. Tell us his pitching repetoire, his weight issues, his wife's name, his girlfriend's name, his religious positions, his criminal record, etc. Make this the most informed web forum community thing out there. Make me proud. Tony Armas, Jr. PIT A Boy Named Seo Kris Benson BAL bmfc1 Paul Byrd CLE Centerfield Shawn Chacon PIT cooby Roger Clemens NYY DocTee Matt Clement BOS Edgy DC Bartolo Colon LAA Elster88 Scott Elarton CLE G-FAFIF Josh Fogg COL Fman99 Casey Fossum TB Frayed Knot Freddy Garcia PHI Gwreck (where the deuce is Gwreck?) Tom Glavine NYM holychicken Livan Hernandez ARZ Iubitul Jason Jennings HOU jerseyshore Brian Lawrence NYM John Cougar Lunchbucket Jon Lieber PHI Kid Carson Kyle Lohse PHI martin Rodrigo Lopez COL Mendoza Line Greg Maddux SD Methead Wade Miller CHC metirish Eric Milton CIN metsguyinmichigan Russ Ortiz SF metsmarathon Odalis Perez KC Nymr83 Andy Pettitte NYY MFS62 Mark Redman COL OlerudOwned Kenny Rogers DET RealityChuck Curt Schilling BOS Rockin' Doc Carlos Silva MIN Rotblatt Julian Tavarez BOS seawolf17 John Thomson KC sharpie Brett Tomko SD SI Metman Steve Trachsel CHC smg58 Tim Wakefield BOS soupcan Jeff Weaver SEA SteveJRogers David Wells LAD TheOldMole Kip Wells STL TransMonk Randy Wolf LAD Vic Sage Jamey Wright TEX vtmet Jaret Wright BAL Willets (baby?) Victor Zambrano BAL Yancy Street Game

smg58 Oct 26 2007 10:56 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Oct 26 2007 11:01 AM

I get the easy one. Steve Trachsel age: 37 (on edit: he will turn 37 on Halloween.) 2007 stats for Baltimore: 25 starts, 140.2 IP, 6-8, 4.48 ERA for the Cubs: 4 starts, 17.1 IP, 1-3, 8.31 ERA health: No injuries reported, but those 4 games with the Cubs in September were clearly not good. pros: Has had some good years, including for us, and was serviceable for most of 2007. cons: His peak was a while ago already. Everybody's last memory of him is the miserable NLCS outing against St. Louis -- but to be fair, he may have been pitching hurt, and compared to Tom's Glavine's last game his effort looks heroic. what he's worth: A minor-league deal. I wouldn't guarantee him anything, but if he's willing to serve as long relief and a (hopefully) occasional starter, he might have 100 decent innings in him.

metirish Oct 26 2007 10:57 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Oct 26 2007 11:42 AM

Wade Miller. At one time in the early part of the new millennium Miller was one of the better young pitchers in the NL, 2001 and 02 saw him achieve his best seasons compiling a 16 - 8 record with 212 innings pitched and a 3.40 ERA with 183 SO. Miller pitched 164 innings and won 15 games with only 4 losses the next season with 144 SO and 3.28 ERA. 2003 he won 14 but lost 13 and many believe that was the season his arm trouble started, apparently he pitched through pain and didn't tell the team, 04 saw him on the DL by June , Miller was a gamer though and had a 7 - 7 record in 15 starts by then. Rotator cuff surgery finished him for that season and as a FA was signed by the Red Sox for the 05 season. Started that season on the DL and pitched 91 innings with a 4 - 4 record. The next few seasons saw him with the Cubs where he never did pitch much and was cut in August 07. In eight seasons Miller has a 62-45 record with 743 strikeouts and a 4.00 ERA in 880.2 innings. I really don't know that Miller has any upside other than he would cost a team nothing much in terms of a contract, probably worth an invite to spring training, would he be any use in the bull pen. Miller was drafted in the 20th round in the 1996 Draft. The Mets draft that year was nothing good, name there first pick? [url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?franch_ID=NYM&year_ID=1996&draft_type=junreg]Mets Picks[/url] Old friend Astro Annie has a page on Miller. http://www.brokersys.com/~j-mag/

holychicken Oct 26 2007 11:28 AM

Tom Glavine: On the final day of the 2007 schedule, with the entire season on the line, Glavine took the hill. Mets fans everywhere, praying for a win, watched in absolute horror as he proceeded to let 9 people reach base and 4 to score while recording just one out. His game ended with a beaning of the opposing pitcher to walk in another run. Doors were kicked. The walls that house Mets fans were frozen with fear, waiting to being to be punctured by fists that seemingly felt no pain. Pets cowered under chairs and tables, afraid that the wrath they were witnessing was somehow their fault. Significant others questioned whether or not they had chosen their mate wisely. Booze cabinets and beer bottles were opened and drained with great haste. His pitching line was 5 hits, 2 walks and 7 ER over 1/3rd of an inning. It was a big ugly ! at the end of historic pennant race collapse. Fair or not, because of that, he ain't coming back. 'nuff said. Oh, his wife is kind of cute and he won 300 games.

Edgy DC Oct 26 2007 11:40 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Oct 26 2007 12:20 PM

Matt Clement, like Miller, is a few summers removed from his more competitive days, and finds himself now on the fringes. He was a darn good coming starter for the Cubs during the Bartman era, though his memory kind of got lost in the shuffle of the Prior-Wood-Zambrano Show. In December of 2004, he signed a fat three-year $25 million deal with the Red Sox. They backloaded it, clearly hoping to dump him on the Mets before the mortgage came due. But he didn't even last a year and a half, and he's sapped the Sawx for over $19 mills the last two years for all of 12 starts. Pope Clement should have been so rich. He was actually an All Star in 2005, starting 10-2 and replacing a hurt (or hiding) Roy Halladay, but his 2006 decline appears to have begun in that season's second half, finishing just 3-4. Another theory for his second half decline is a Carl Crawford liner off of the noggin that caught him above the right ear and skipped into left field. (See photo essay at right.) After leaving a start early with discomfort in 2006, he attempted rest and rehab, but ended up going in for arthroscopic surgery (performed by the eminent James Andrews, thank you very much) on his pitching shoulder. That was 9/26/2006. He was predictably optimistic at the time, but he hasn't appearead since, and the barely hidden subtext of this article makes me say "Yeek." BOSTON -- The agent for Boston Red Sox pitcher Matt Clement said the right-hander will not be able to throw for several months following surgery Tuesday on his shoulder, but is expected to be able to pitch again. Dr. James Andrews of Birmingham, Ala., who performed the surgery, said he "absolutely" expects Clement will be able to pitch again, agent Barry Axelrod told The Boston Globe and the Boston Herald on Wednesday. Andrews performed arthroscopic surgery on Clement "to address ongoing issues with his right shoulder," the team said in a brief statement Wednesday night. "There was significant pathology identified at the time of the surgery, which was addressed. Matt will begin with a period of rest following the procedure, followed by an extensive rehabilitation process." Clement has been on the disabled list since mid-June. "Matt's not going to be throwing for a few months, he'll be immobilized for some period of time, but after that it will all depend on how effective his rehab is," Axelrod told the Herald. Axelrod compared the injury to that of NFL quarterback Drew Brees, who had a torn labrum in his shoulder and a rotator cuff injury repaired by Andrews in January and is back playing for the New Orleans Saints this season. "There were tears. The way the doctor described it, there were three surgeries in one," Axlerod told the Globe. Clement 1.0 was capable of 7.75 SO/9. He liked hard stuff. He'd get ahead wtih the 4-seamer that peaked at 93 but sat around 90, and then get the righthanders to chase the slider off the plate. He'd attack lefties inside with cutter, but just as an out pitch. He preferred to stay away. His changeup was just to show, but he might expand it if he comes back. He was known back in the day for his thick goatee. And fans would wear fake goatees on days he pitched. If he joins the Mets, pleeease don't do that shit. Matt and his wife Heather have two sons --- Mattix (3) and Madden (1) --- so you know that he's kind of vain. That must've made it even harder when Boston fans would call into IdiotSports Radio during his period of decline and refer to him as DoorMatt and HazMatt. Heather is wearing the sunglasses at right, despite there clearly being no sun. I don't really like her slouchiness either. If he joins the Mets, pleeease don't do that shit. Matt will be 33 in 2008 and he'll have to spend some time in the minors showing he still has something, so he'd cost the Mets little more than a spring invite and a split minor-major league contract, with the major league portion probably no more than a pro-rated million, as Brian Lawrence got $750,000. Sheesh, I know him so well now, I kind of hope the Mets do grab him.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 26 2007 12:12 PM

Brian Lawrence Tell us his pluses: Can be had cheap. Doesn't eat as much as most pitchers at postgame thread. Easy to beat up. Hot wifey. Humbled by recent injury, release by "hometown" Rockies and poor 2007 results. His minuses Had every opportunity to win himself a guaranteed invite and abused it. Not a great physoical talent, so always needs to be at his best. His upside A poor man's Rick Reed or Bob Tewksbury (themselves poor men's Greg Madduxes), using a slow, slower, slowest collection of wiggly creampuffs and inshoots to keep opponents off-balance. In a best-case scenario, Lawrence gets movement on his junk and it stays in the strike zone, generating a fair amount of whiffs, lots poor contact, and very few walks. His downside His junk lacks movement and/or escapes the strike zone -- and when both happen, look out. Capable of destruction at the hands of such offensive powerhouses as Pittsburgh, San Diego, and Washington down the stretch. No precision = no success. Does not have the physical ability to will success without having his best junk. his health status Had surgery to repair a torn labrum and a torn rotator cuff following the 2005 season and didn't pitch at all in 2006. It is possible that further recovery from these issues could warrant consideration, but that's a question for trainers and doctors to answer. Prior to that one of Larence's calling cards was his good health -- 3 consecutive 200 innings seasons for SD between 2002 and 2004. what it would honestly cost the Mets to sign him A plane ticket to St. Lucie whether it would be worth it Not as a Plan A Would it be disastrous? No. But only as an emergency starter/AAA depth kind of acquisition. Just how disastrous. Only a true disaster if he winds up pitching too many important innings/games, after he'd already demonstrated shakiness, as happened this August. As it is, his presence would indicate one or more things have gone wrong with the frontline starters. Tell us his pitching repetoire His fastball is 82-85 mph, really. Not that there's anything wrong with a lack of swiftness if it moves. Lawrence used the same (lack of) stuff to become one of the top prospects in the SD organization back in the day. He and Jake Peavy came up together. his weight issues, None. Lawrence is listed at 6-0, 195 but appears more like 5-10, 175. He actually looks malnourished. Yo, Maripat. Cook the man some dinner. his wife's name Maripat. Interestingly, Maripat is the sister of another junkball pitcher, Mark Redman. Did that ever make Wifey Watch? Best I could do: his girlfriend's name, his religious positions, his criminal record, etc. Lawrence is among dozens of pro athletes who played for San Diego and made their homes in the Poway area, which was imperiled by the recent fires. Lawrence apparently was in Mexico this week but checked in with wifey Maripat who reported things were OK. Dave Justice's house burned to the ground. Phil Nevin lost all the trees on his property but his home survived. Bruce Bochy's son had to come and rescue his dog (the Bochys were vacationing in France). Lawrence was released by the Mets after his last start -- a wretched effort in which he blew a 4-0 Metly lead at Washington by failing to get lout of the 4th. There are rumors the Tigers will invite him to camp. What was he doing in Mexico without his hot bride? Visiting pharmacies? Checking out job opps with the Mexico City Reds? I guess we've seen the last of Brian Lawrence in a Met uni but probably not the last of Lawrence, period. He'll be 32 and still but a few years removed from a 15-win season. Somebody will give him a shot.

sharpie Oct 26 2007 12:26 PM

John Thomson His name is a homophone for the Georgetown basketball coach. Whether he is a homophobe I was unable to determine except that he did tell the New York Times after being traded to the Mets in 2002 that “I don’t like cities much. I like to stay by myself.” He is the only baseball player to spell “Thomson” without a “p” other than the famous-home-run-hitter Bobby Thomson. Thomson began his career with four and one-half unspectacular years with the Rockies when he was traded in a July 31, 2002 deadline deal along with Mark Little to the Mets for Jay Payton, Mark Corey and Robert Stratton. This turned out not to be one of Steve Phillips’ better moments. The Mets were making a small run in the general direction of the Wild Card at that point and promptly nosedived afterward. In his first start for the Mets on August 3 Thomson’s error led to four unearned runs and later gave up a 3-run homer to future Met Jay Bell in a 9-2 loss to Arizona. Thomson went 2-6, 4.31 for the Mets who didn’t offer him a free agent contract. His best season was 2004 when he went 14-8, 4.31 for the Braves. He followed those up with a couple of ineffective, injury-plagued seasons. But in 2007 his old team, the Mets, made him an offer to return. Given a choice between New York and Toronto he chose Toronto saying: ]“As far as just looking at Paul Lo Duca across the field, I’m not really into how he acts behind the plate,” Thomson said on a conference call. “I know a bit about [Toronto catcher] Gregg Zaun and I know he wants to win and he’s not going to let anything get in his way to do that, and I like that. “And then with Vernon Wells in center field, I’m not really concerned about the outfield with him out there. … Just watching the Mets’ outfield, if Cliff Floyd is still there it’s not a real good fit for him out there. He can hit the ball, but as far as defense, he’s a little shaky. “I just liked what’s happening in Toronto.” Cliff Floyd was already gone by the time he said what he said and he had never thrown to Lo Duca. He never got to throw to Gregg Zaun either. He was injured coming out of spring training and after going 3-4 4.47 for three minor league Toronto teams he was released on June 20. The Royals signed him on June 22. He made a couple of starts for the Royals, going 1-1, 3.38 before getting hurt again. He made some minor league starts for the Royals where he went 0-3 compiling a 14.53 ERA. He turned 34 on the 1st of this month. He was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Whether he is married or not or is a committed relationship with a member of the same sex I could not determine.

Fman99 Oct 26 2007 12:37 PM

Proper Name: Joshua Smith Fogg Born: December 13, 1976 Lynn, MA Height: 6-0 Weight: 205 lbs. Age: 30 Bats: Right Throws: Right Pos: SP Experience: 6 years 2007 Salary: $3,625,000 College: Florida Married: wife named Jessica Fogg Nicknames: "Chesty LaRue" (I have no source on this but it sounds nice) Career record: 60-60, 4.90 ERA Health record: Had arthroscopic surgery in his right elbow after the 2006 season to remove bone spurs. Scouting report (stolen openly from Mets Geek's recurring "Upcoming Series: What to Expect" taken from April 2007): "It might be safe to say at this point that Josh Fogg just isn’t a good major league starting pitcher. And yet the Rockies still insist on marching him out there for another thirty starts. He got off to a hot start with the Pirates in 2002, and I think teams have been letting him coast ever since. Fogg’s basically a junkballer with good control. His fastball has some sink but only tops out around 88, giving him one of the slowest fastballs in baseball. He has a pretty good change and a decent curve, both of which he’ll throw often. He’ll occasionally mix in a slider, and he’s also been working on a cutter, reducing the number of pitches he doesn’t throw to one. What to Expect: Fogg absolutely needs to hit his spots to have any sort of success. If he leaves the ball up in the zone or out over the plate he’ll be hit hard (see above). A nibbler, the only way he can pitch well is to paint the corners and hope his fastball has a little bit of sink to it. He won’t throw the fastball terribly often—just a little over half the time—and he lives on his changeup, throwing that almost 22% of the time, the fourth highest rate in the league. He also has to be careful with his curveball which he will hang from time to time." 2007 vs. Mets: Went 2-0, 15 IP, 16 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO. Pros: The guy is the classic MLB innings-eater. He's been consistently mediocre-to-poor over the course of his career. Look at his W-L record over the past 6 years. 2002 12-12 2003 10-9 2004 11-10 2005 6-11 2006 11-9 2007 10-9 There's a pattern of some kind here. His similar pitchers list on Baseball Reference includes such "luminaries" as Rodrigo Lopez, Jason Jennings, and former-Met-turned-whiny-bitch John Thomson. Yet this is your Game 3 WS starter, amazingly. Cons: His ESPN photo makes it look like the guy next to him passed gas and he's enjoying it somehow. Creepy. Upside: Best case - he gets more run support and puts up a 15 win season with lousy peripherals, a la Traschel in 2006. Downside: He clogs up a SP slot with his 5.5 ERA and 4-8 record, that Pelfrey or Humber could be auditioning in and gaining MLB experience, thereby clogging progress in the name of "veteran stability." See Lawrence, Brian or Lima, Jose. Cost: He made $3.6 million in 2007 and put up nearly identical numbers after doing so. I'd think the Mets could get him for about the same or less (2.5-3.5 mil, give/take) on a one-year flier. Yet the Mets seem to sign 3-6 of these types of guys every spring to try and fill out the roster with SP depth (see Sele, Aaron). Disastrous rating: from 1 to 10, about a solid 7. This guy is a seat-warmer, like the guys at the Oscars who fill in the crowd when Al Pacino gets the green-apple splatters.

Valadius Oct 26 2007 01:01 PM

What about me?

Benjamin Grimm Oct 26 2007 01:32 PM

Feel free to take my Victor Zambrano.

metsguyinmichigan Oct 26 2007 02:50 PM Edited 3 time(s), most recently on Oct 26 2007 04:29 PM

Eric Milton I defer to my best friend Will, who is a lifelong Reds fan, the former official scorer for the Columbus Clippers and is writing a book about the history of the minor leagues. "What do you need other than the fact that he was one of the worst free-agent signings of all time? Part of that was his fault -- he just wasn't very good before he signed and wasn't any good after -- and part was the Reds fault: they have a freakin' launching pad, and they sign a guy who gives up the gopher ball unlike any other pitcher in a long time. I think one year he allowed 46 homers and was on pace to break the record of 50. This was in 200 innings or less, I think. Anyway, you can look it up on BBR. In terms of win shares, one year he was totally worthless, 0 win shares, in enough innings to qualify for the ERA title. That level of suckitude is not easy to accomplish." Uncle Milty was in a word, a total stiff (that's three words)." And on my own I discovered this: While a minor leaguer in the Yankee's system, Milton got a tattoo of the Yankee logo on his pitching shoulder. He never got into a game with the Yankees, after being traded with three other players (including Cristian Guzman) to the Minnesota Twins for Chuck Knoblauch. Milton then got a tattoo of the Twins logo on his other shoulder. He has also pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies and for the Cincinnati Reds (but we don't know which body part bears those logos.) And that, I believe, tells us what we need to know about Eric Milton. Granted, Shea is not the launching pad that Great American is. But unless we're looking for a new Lima, we should stay clear. Maybe we can send him to the Phillies camp?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 26 2007 02:59 PM

Seven of this year's FA pitchers are graduates of the Benson Bunch -- only Derek Lowe (4year deal?) is not with them: Benson Leiber Perez Ortiz Clement Wright Milton I think of the BB as a recent messdageboard thing. I've been at this way too long!

Vic Sage Oct 26 2007 03:19 PM

RANDY WOLF Full Name: Randall Christopher Wolf Nickname: "Wolfie" Born: 08/22/1976 Birthplace: Canoga Park, CA Height: 5'10" Weight: 200 Bats: Left Throws: Left College: Pepperdine This left-handed power pitcher showed early promise with the Phillies, peaking at age 26 with an all-star appearance. His high K rate made him a fan favorite in Philly, where he earned a following called THE WOLF PACK. But injuries stole Wolfie's future, and for his last 3 years in Philly he averaged 16 gs and 90 ip. He was still effective when he pitched, but he pitched rarely. Wolfie had Tommy John surgery in the middle of the 05 season, and the Phillies gave up on him after 2006. He signed with his hometown Dodgers for the 2007 season, but his injuries continued, ending his season in July with another should operation (18 gs / 102 ip). Though Randy expected the Dodgers to buy out his option for `08, he said he wants to get another shot with the Dodgers next year. But at what price? He was scheduled to get $9 million for next season, but obviously he can't expect to make anything like that now, no matter where he pitches. And the Dodgers could probably get a hometown discount, with an incentive-laden deal. Should we sign him? At age 31, he's not over the hill. And you could catch lightning in a bottle with him, if he could navigate his way to 30 starts. Actually, if you put him and El Duque together, the Mets would have one hell of a pitcher. But the only kind of deal that makes sense with him is the kind the Dodgers are likely to offer, and he'll take their deal to stay home. Career highlights Amateur career: Wolf played PONY League Baseball at West Hills, CA. He played high school baseball at El Camino Real in Woodland Hills, CA, where he was named High School "Pitcher of the Year" by the Los Angeles Times in 1993, when he threw a no-hitter and perfect game in consecutive starts as a junior, and "Player of the Year" in 1994. when he went 12-3 as a senior...in both of those seasons, pitched in the Los Angeles City Championship game held at Dodger Stadium, leading his team to consecutive city titles. June 2, 1994: He was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 25th round of the 1994 amateur draft, but did not sign. He went to Pepperdine instead, where he was Freshman 1st Team All-America, West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year, 2nd team College All-American, and West Coast Conference All-Star. June 3, 1997: Drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2nd round of the 1997 amateur draft. Player signed July 11, 1997. 1997-1999: He rose quickly through the Phillies minor league system, accumulating a 19-12 record with 296 Ks over 290 ip (46 gs). He came up to the majors June 11, 1999, at age 22. His major league record (and salaries): 1999 (Phi) 6 - 9 / 21 gs / 121 ip / ERA+ 86 ($200,000) age 22 2000 (Phi) 11 - 9 / 32 gs / 206 ip / ERA+ 107 ($240,000) age 23 2001 (Phi) 10 - 11 / 25 gs / 163 ip / ERA+ 116 ($365,000) age 24 2002 (Phi) 11 - 9 / 31 gs / 210 ip / ERA+ 121 ($450,000) age 25 2003 (Phi) 16 - 10 / 33 gs / 200 ip / ERA+ 94 ($2,375,000) age 26 [all-star] 2004 (Phi) 5 - 8 / 23 gs / 136 ip / ERA+ 105 ($4,375,000) age 27 2005 (Phi) 6 - 4 / 13 gs / 80 ip / ERA+ 100 ($6,625,000) age 28 2006 (Phi) 4 - 0 / 12 gs / 56 ip / ERA+ 84 ($9,125,000) age 29 2007 (LA) 9 - 6 / 18 gs / 102 ip / ERA+ 97 ($7,475,000) age 30 misc file: His cousin, Sid Akins, played minor league baseball and was a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team which played at Dodger Stadium...his brother, Jim is a Major League umpire...was the 2003 winner of the Phillies Community Service Award as well as the club's winner of the Roberto Clemente Award for his outstanding community service...has served as a spokesman for the Children's Miracle Network since 2003, purchasing over $6,500 in tickets each year for CMN children and their families...has participated in "Baseballers Against Drugs" free baseball clinic for inner-city kids.

Rockin' Doc Oct 26 2007 08:09 PM

My assigned pitcher, Curt Schilling, is still busy adding to his resume. I will submit a report on him once his season is completed.

DocTee Oct 26 2007 08:47 PM

I've got this Clemens, Roger guy. Anybody know anything about him?

TransMonk Oct 27 2007 10:32 AM

Robert Kip Wells is a 30-year-old right handed pitcher who is a free agent after spending 2007 with the St. Louis Cardinals. Over his career he is 64-91 with a 4.63 ERA in 203 starts. He is 6’3” and 205 pounds. He supposedly has five pitches with the best being a mediocre fastball. He currently lives in Houston with his wife Emily who is his best friend’s younger sister. They have a daughter Georgia who is 5 months old. Wells was born on April 21, 1977 in Houston, TX. He is 3-0 with a 2.95 ERA in 3 career ML outings when pitching on his birthday. He attended Elkins High School in Missouri City, Texas where he was an Academic Excellence Award winner and an All-State senior going 7-1 with a 2.35 ERA in 1995. Wells led his team to the 5-A Texas state championship that same year. His team finished 32-2 and was ranked #2 in Baseball America’s national high school poll. After being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in June of 1995, he opted to go to Baylor University where he posted a career record of 21-14 for the Bears with a 5.17 ERA and 288 strikeouts in 3 collegiate seasons. His best year was his junior campaign where he went 13-4 with a 3.71 ERA and 4 complete games and 135 Ks. He was named First-Team All Big 12 and Second-Team All American that year and established a school record with his 13th win and Baylor's only victory in the Big 12 Tournament. Baseball America named him the #1 pro prospect in the Big 12 and put him #2 on the list of the "Top 100 Names You Need to Know For 2000". Wells was the 16th overall pick of the 1998 amateur draft. Chosen by the Chicago White Sox, Kip did not agree to contract terms until December 12th. He made his ML debut on August 2nd, 1999 and earned his first win at the hands of the Detroit Tigers. He began 2000 as the #2 starter for Chicago but bounced up and down between the big club and AAA Charlotte. He was not included on the White Sox 2000 post season roster. In 2001, the White Sox gave Wells playing time, but mostly from the bullpen. He led the AL in wild pitches and gave up 14 HRs in his limited role as a starter. In 2002, Wells was traded to Pittsburgh where he led the team in strikeouts, innings pitched and losses, while sharing the lead in wins and starts. On August 9th, he surrendered career HR #600 to Barry Bonds. 2003 was arguably his best year when he went 10-9 with a 3.28 ERA and led all National League pitchers with a 2.12 ERA while pitching at home and had the fifth-best ERA (2.41) in day games. 2004 was less consistent and Wells was plagued by minor injuries. He underwent minor surgery on 10/05/04 to eliminate sensation of numbness he experienced in the middle finger of his pitching hand throughout season. At the end of the 2005 season, Wells had a 55-69 record and a 4.36 E.R.A. after 188 games over the course of seven seasons. Wells led the league in losses in 2005, going 8-18 on a Pirates team that went 72-90. He received the lowest amount of run support among all major league pitchers (3.07 per game average). Kip spent much of the 2006 season on the DL after doctors repaired an artery in his right arm and then an auxiliary artery was blocked and required a vein transfer from his leg. He was traded from Pittsburgh to Texas at the trading deadline and finished 2006 just 2-5 with a 6.50 ERA in 44.3 innings. In 2007, Wells had another disappointing year, again leading the league in losses while going 7-17 for the Cardinals with a 5.70 ERA. His pluses are behind him. It is conceivable to think that were he on a better team in his younger years it may have benefited his career more. His minuses are that he is an aging pitcher who has never really had any ML success and seems to be getting worse over the past 3 years. The Mets could possibly offer him a minor league deal and he may not even be worth that. If the Mets were going into 2008 with Wells on the starting staff it will mean that Omar has had a disastrous off-season and the team is in deep trouble.

Gwreck Oct 27 2007 01:45 PM

The Phillies acquired Freddy Garcia from the White Sox for two pitching prospects, including previously heralded Gavin Floyd (who didn't impress in his 16 outings -- including 10 starts. 2007 Injuries Garcia was hurt as early as Spring Training 2007, including an alarming spring training start against the Blue Jays where his fastball was as slow as 76 MPH. It was later revealed that while his physical at the time showed nothing abnormal, no MRI was done at the time. Further, when the Phillies acquired him from the White Sox via trade in late 2006, they didn't get a physical at the time. Garcia wound up with a delayed start to the season but basically got hit hard every time out After a June 8 start in Kansas City where Garcia didn't get out of the second inning but gave up 7 hits and 6 runs, Garcia finally went for that elusive MRI which revealed a partial labrum tear and fraying of the rorator cuff, and Garcia was headed to Birmingham to visit Dr. James Andrews. Surprisngly, surgery didn't happen and Garcia was suposed to be on a path of rest and rehabilitation after being shut down for several weeks. That plan didn't work, and Garcia hasn't pitched since; he had surgery to repair his right labrum in August. The final 2007 line: 1-5, 5.90 in 11 starts, 12 HR, 74 H, 19 BB and 50 K in 58 innings. Career Overview Garcia had been one of the most consistent starters in baseball since he broke in with Seattle in 1999, pitching over 200 innings and racking up at least 12 wins every year from 99-06 (excepting 2000, when he missed a while with a broken bone in his leg). His best season was 2001 (the year Seattle won 116 games), 18-6, 3.05. Led the AL in ERA and IP. 2005 was also a standout year for Garcia, going 14-8, 3.87 in 288 innings for the World Champion White Sox -- he also went 3-0 in 3 posteason starts, with a 2.14 ERA. Organizational and Contract History Garcia was originally a product of the Houston system and one of the key prospects the Astros gave up to get Randy Johnson from the Mariners. He was traded to the White Sox in the middle of the 2004 season, and then to the Phillies before the 2007 season. Garcia's never tested the free agent market before -- he signed a three year extension while with the White Sox and the last year of that was 2007. 2008 Outlook As for what Garcia has to offer this next year? Nobody can really know. The cautious thing would be to assume that he won't be ready to start the season and might not be available until May/June. He's thrown a ton of innings in his 9 year career, including a high of 257.2 innings in 2001 (including postseason) and an average of just shy of 200 innings per season, even including his two injury shortened seasons. It would seem that the sensible offer might be for $3 million with a club option for 2009 but with the market for pitching, who knows if that'd stay. Garcia could be real valuable for the Mets, even if he didn't pitch at the beginning of the year, particularly as relief/insurance for El Duque, and a small investment obviously isn't going to break the bank. Miscellaneous but Undeniably Essential Information His wife is named Glendys, and "according" to Wikipedia, his favorite liquor is Jagermeister. ="EdgyDC"](where the deuce is Gwreck?) Still reading, just not a lot to say these days. Waiting for the playoffs to end so I can get back into baseball.

Fman99 Oct 27 2007 07:41 PM

Hey, I "scouted" Josh Fogg during tonight's World Series game. And this just in... he sucks ass! 2.2 IP, 9 H, 2 BB, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 K

martin Oct 28 2007 12:18 AM

Kyle Matthew Lohse 2007: REC 9-12 | SV 0 | ERA 4.62 | WHIP 1.37 signed with the cubs in 97. traded to the twins in 99 and made his big league debut in 2001. bounced between the reds and twins until being dealt to the phillies at the deadline to help out with their run to the east title. native americans in the big leagues: lohse - nolaki tribe joba chamberlain - winnebago jacob ellsbury - navajo pronounced lōsh, with an o like"kosher". the S and the H in his name desperately want to change places. notable natives of chino california: kyle lohse diana taurasi, uconn/wnba star ryan atwood, the rough but good-hearted hearthrob from fox's "The OC" chad cordero, low-hat wearing nationals closer. the phillies were 5-2 during his starts in their overtaking of the mets in august and september, but his fortunes changed in the playoffs, and his season ended on a sour note, with kaz matsui blasting a grand slam off him in game 3 of the NL divisional series. "I liked Lohse against Matsui, I liked him going against Matsui and one reason I liked him is because of his stuff, breaking ball, changeup and fastball.' - charlie manuel lohse has had a nice but unremarkable career. some of his age-comparables on baseball reference: steve trachsel jose lima jeff suppan kyle has a wife, gabby, and a daughter, kameron: people who might play him when "the kyle lohse story" movie is made: lou diamond phillips that guy from linkin park, the one who raps: kyle lohse scouting report: 6'2 althletic. 94 mph fastball, with good movement on curve and slider. control not great. poor changeup. fields his position well. can get flustered on the mound. upside: not huge. unlikely to get his ERA below 4. a good bet to be ready go every 5th day. his teeth are nice. downside: also not great. kyle doesnt get injured very often, and will give you 150 innings of mediocre pitching every year. you probably arent expecting him to be your ace, so he will not suprise you when he only wins 7 games in 2008. lohse can be solid, and he probably will not be terrible. what would he cost? well, at 29 he will be one of the youngest free agent pitchers on the market, and he doesn't get hurt. his agent is scott boras, so he could cost more than a comparable pitcher. i dunno, 3 years and 25 million sounds about right. should the mets sign him? maybe, his stuff isnt all that bad. he might be a jorge sosa type that the pitching coaches can work with. although i suppose you could argue a guy like him just blocks higher ceiling guys from making it. but he could fill your 4th or 5th starter role and be adequate. lohse enjoys spending time with his fans. he poses here with "evie"

Elster88 Oct 28 2007 07:39 AM

jacob ellsbury - navajo I think it's Jacoby.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Oct 28 2007 08:03 AM

Thank god we cleared that up. I thought he meant a different guy.

martin Oct 28 2007 11:59 AM

Elster88 wrote: jacob ellsbury - navajo I think it's Jacoby. most native americans drop the y in casual situations.

Kid Carsey Oct 28 2007 12:19 PM

Edgon dropped my y. I don't have time to research Jon Lieber (nor wanna). Boo. me.

MFS62 Oct 28 2007 01:48 PM

Andrew Eugene Pettitte Born June 15, 1972 in Baton Rouge, LA Bats Left, Throws Left Height 6' 5", Weight 235 lb. Career Records: Regular season: 210-113 2527.7 IP, 2636H, 790BB, 1844K, 3.83 ERA, 118 ERA+, 1.355 WHIP Post Season: 14-9, 3.96ERA, 218.1 IP, 235 H, 60 BB, 139 K (couldn't find the other stats) Personal observations: For a guy that big, his last name is inappropriate. He may have the biggest nose in the major leagues since Ernie "Schnoz" Lombardi. When he's pitching to Jorge Posada, their noses are about 10 feet closer than 60' 6". Reputation: "Big Game" postseason pitcher Great pickoff move (which opposing managers still claim is a balk) Off field stuff: Made a tv ad for selling Bibles. I'm not sure if that irritated Boss George, but that was the year that, despite his record, Boss Geaorge reportedly insisted he not be re-signed. All else written about him says he was a good guy, a good teammate and a tough competitor. He signed with the Yankees again and many say it was for a chance to be reunited with his pitching buddy Roger Clemens. Now that he's a free agent: Why he'll stay with the Yankees: He's a Yankee. He's a winner. He doesn't seem concerned with chasing the most money - IIRC he would have signed with the Yanks when he was let go for less than what was being offered. Why he would sign with the Mets: I can't come up with a good reason, or any reason for that matter. Later

Edgy DC Oct 28 2007 07:14 PM

Fman99 wrote: His fastball has some sink but only tops out around 88, giving him one of the slowest fastballs in baseball. Dubious.

Fman99 Oct 28 2007 07:50 PM

="MFS62"]Andrew Eugene Pettitte Born June 15, 1972 in Baton Rouge, LA Bats Left, Throws Left Height 6' 5", Weight 235 lb. Career Records: Regular season: 210-113 2527.7 IP, 2636H, 790BB, 1844K, 3.83 ERA, 118 ERA+, 1.355 WHIP Post Season: 14-9, 3.96ERA, 218.1 IP, 235 H, 60 BB, 139 K (couldn't find the other stats) Personal observations: For a guy that big, his last name is inappropriate. He may have the biggest nose in the major leagues since Ernie "Schnoz" Lombardi. When he's pitching to Jorge Posada, their noses are about 10 feet closer than 60' 6". Reputation: "Big Game" postseason pitcher Great pickoff move (which opposing managers still claim is a balk) Off field stuff: Made a tv ad for selling Bibles. I'm not sure if that irritated Boss George, but that was the year that, despite his record, Boss Geaorge reportedly insisted he not be re-signed. All else written about him says he was a good guy, a good teammate and a tough competitor. He signed with the Yankees again and many say it was for a chance to be reunited with his pitching buddy Roger Clemens. Now that he's a free agent: Why he'll stay with the Yankees: He's a Yankee. He's a winner. He doesn't seem concerned with chasing the most money - IIRC he would have signed with the Yanks when he was let go for less than what was being offered. Why he would sign with the Mets: I can't come up with a good reason, or any reason for that matter. Later More enjoyable was the "incident" where his kids were photographed in the Yankee dugout wearing Mets caps (that was the Little League team they were on).

Edgy DC Oct 28 2007 08:16 PM

Gwreck wrote: His (Freddy Garcia's wife is named Glendys... . She's Ozzie Guillen's niece.

Edgy DC Oct 28 2007 08:22 PM

Among who is on the board, right now Lohse is most intriguing, but Wells might be the better bet for the short money the Mets might want to go with.

MFS62 Oct 31 2007 04:40 PM

Pettitte announced today (as per WFAN) that he will either stay a Yankee next year or retire. That seems to remove him from consideration as a future Met. I guess that also means he won't be following Joe to LA. Later

Gwreck Oct 31 2007 04:59 PM

Schilling might be an insufferable blowhard but if he truly only wants a 1 year deal I'm intrigued.

Kid Carsey Oct 31 2007 05:35 PM

If there's one downfall of being one of the teams with a boat load of cash, it's that the press will report (or an insufferable blogger will report on his own) that he's willing to take our money and "join" our team. Probably a better place to add this part -- but I'm very cranky over the fact that the Red Sox swept and won the series and we've heard nothing about it.

Nymr83 Oct 31 2007 05:50 PM

ODALIS PEREZ (LHP) 6'0, 150 lb, has played 9 seasons in ATL, LA, and KC, will be 30 years old on opening day 2008. -a career 4.47 ERA (94 ERA+) and a 1.327 WHIP, he's really been terrible recently with ERA+ scores of 90, 74, and 84 the past 3 seasons. -He can't stay healthy and he doesnt go deep into games (5.26 innings per start this year) -he didn't have much trouble with homeruns this year (as he has in the past) but forgot how to strike guys out (64 in 137 innings) -his control is actually pretty good for his career, but he gets smacked around in the strike zone. the Mets should probably stay away from this guy, though if nobody else is interested he'd be worth one of those 1-year deals that doesnt gaurantee him a roster spot and pays him more if he makes the majors because its always possible that a return to the NL could get him somewhere near his old Dodger form

metirish Oct 31 2007 06:45 PM

Gwreck wrote: Schilling might be an insufferable blowhard but if he truly only wants a 1 year deal I'm intrigued. He's that and more. ] Schilling says Red Sox favored, but dozen others possible ESPN.com news services A day after saying he'd written goodbye letters to some of his Boston Red Sox teammates, Curt Schilling has posted a list of 13 teams he'd be willing to play for next season as he enters free agency for the first time. The right-hander, who turns 41 on Nov. 16, made a list that includes the Red Sox but not the New York Yankees. Schilling filed for free agency Tuesday. Schilling wrote on his Web site that his first choice remains re-signing with Boston. "There are a million little things that go into this from stadiums to school districts to travel to spring training to etc. etc. etc.," Schilling wrote, "but the list represents the teams after Boston that have some of the off the field things that are big to us, plus the potential to go into October next year." He listed 2007 playoff teams Cleveland, the Los Angeles Angels, Philadelphia, Arizona and the Chicago Cubs, plus 2006 World Series teams Detroit and St. Louis, the New York Mets, Atlanta, the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego and Milwaukee. On Tuesday, Schilling said he was looking for a one-year deal. "If truly, physically, I was at the end of my rope, this would be the ultimate way to walk away," Schilling said in his weekly radio appearance in Boston. "I don't think I'm there." Catchers Jason Varitek and Doug Mirabelli stopped by the Red Sox clubhouse to box up their belongings on Wednesday morning after being honored at the Massachusetts Statehouse. Varitek took care to label and preserve the bats he used during the World Series. The two lockers next to the catcher, which had been used by Schilling, were cleared of any personal items and name tags. Varitek repeated his hope that Schilling is able to finish up his career in Boston, but said he wouldn't be running to his teammate's blog to keep up on his status. "I haven't checked a blog, so I'm probably not going to start now," he said. "I may call him now and then to see what's going on." Schilling said he wrote goodbye letters to selected teammates and Red Sox officials. "I actually broke out a pen and paper the last couple days and wrote letters to some people here, just to say goodbye," Schilling said on the radio, apparently before he filed for free agency. "There's a very realistic chance I won't ever play with them again." Varitek said he was one of the players who received a note from Schilling. "It's something I'll keep," the catcher said. Schilling promised fans that he'd keep them updated on his free agency journey through his blog. "If October 28, 2007, was the last time I ever wear this uniform, thank you," Schilling wrote on Monday. "It was an honor and a privelage [sic] to be allowed to play here."

Edgy DC Oct 31 2007 09:19 PM

Like 26 of these guys are still on the board! Tony Armas, Jr. PIT A Boy Named Seo Kris Benson BAL bmfc1 Paul Byrd CLE Centerfield Shawn Chacon PIT cooby Roger Clemens NYY DocTee Matt Clement BOS Edgy DC Bartolo Colon LAA Elster88 Scott Elarton CLE G-FAFIF Josh Fogg COL Fman99 Casey Fossum TB Frayed Knot Freddy Garcia PHI Gwreck (where the deuce is Gwreck?) Tom Glavine NYM holychicken Livan Hernandez ARZ Iubitul Jason Jennings HOU jerseyshore Brian Lawrence NYM John Cougar Lunchbucket Jon Lieber PHI Kid Carson Kyle Lohse PHI martin Rodrigo Lopez COL Mendoza Line Greg Maddux SD Methead Wade Miller CHC metirish Eric Milton CIN metsguyinmichigan Russ Ortiz SF metsmarathon Odalis Perez KC Nymr83 Andy Pettitte NYY MFS62 Mark Redman COL OlerudOwned Kenny Rogers DET RealityChuck Curt Schilling BOS Rockin' Doc Carlos Silva MIN Rotblatt Julian Tavarez BOS seawolf17 John Thomson KC sharpie Brett Tomko SD SI Metman Steve Trachsel CHC smg58 Tim Wakefield BOS soupcan Jeff Weaver SEA SteveJRogers David Wells LAD TheOldMole Kip Wells STL TransMonk Randy Wolf LAD Vic Sage Jamey Wright TEX vtmet Jaret Wright BAL Willets (baby?) Victor Zambrano BAL Yancy Street Game

DocTee Oct 31 2007 09:44 PM

Roger Clemens... Age: 45 Throws: Broken Bats Bats: RH Record; (Career/ 2007): 354-184/6-6 ERA: (Career/2007): 3.12/4.34 Salary, 2007: $28M for 14 starts and one relief appearance Why we want him: A veteran of 23 seasons who is a sure-fire HOF. Six-time WS participant...7 Cy Youngs, one MVP (only pitcher in 40 + years to win that award)...11 time All-Star, member MLB All-Century Team. 4664 career K's. Why we don't: Supposed 'roid-abuser...coming off highest WHIP since 1999...names all his kids with "K" names...arrogant bastard who has but four complete games and two shutouts since leaving Toronto ten seasons ago. 4900 career IP. Married to Debra for 23 years...four kids (Koby, Kory, Kacy and Kody)-- all of who have middle names beginning with "A" (Aaron, Allen, Austin, and Alec, respectively) in honor of their father, who is an Asshole. Klemens Kwotes (courtesy of wikipedia): Clemens has also attracted controversy over the years for his outspoken comments, such as his complaints about having to carry his own luggage through an airport and his criticism of Fenway Park for being a subpar facility. On April 4, 2006, Clemens made a "racially insensitive" remark when asked about the devotion of Japanese and South Korean fans during the World Baseball Classic: "None of the dry cleaners were open, they were all at the game." Hall of Fame slugger Hank Aaron angered the pitcher by saying that pitchers should not be eligible for the MVP. "I wish he were still playing," Clemens responded. "I'd probably crack his head open to show him how valuable I was." PASS

Nymr83 Oct 31 2007 10:12 PM

]Hall of Fame slugger Hank Aaron angered the pitcher by saying that pitchers should not be eligible for the MVP. "I wish he were still playing," Clemens responded. "I'd probably crack his head open to show him how valuable I was." so Clemens is saying that retired players can run their mouths without consequence? kinda like...umm... AL pitchers?

DocTee Oct 31 2007 10:15 PM

Yes, the number of batters he plunked went down considerably after his move to the NL.

Nymr83 Oct 31 2007 10:18 PM

DocTee wrote: Yes, the number of batters he plunked went down considerably after his move to the NL. 3 years in houston 13 HBP in 539 innings (one every 41.46 innings), career 159 in 4916 innings (one every 30.9 innings) confirming that he is, in fact, a pussy.

Benjamin Grimm Nov 01 2007 05:54 AM

I offered Victor Zambrano to Valadius when he griped that he didn't get an assignment.

sharpie Nov 01 2007 07:10 AM

I think Valadius is holding out for someone better.

Benjamin Grimm Nov 01 2007 07:27 AM

Well, he (or anyone else) can still take Zambrano any time they please. If we get to a certain point, we can let Steve Rogers finish everyone off.

Methead Nov 01 2007 07:37 AM

Greg Maddux, RHP, 42 years old, 6'0", 170 lb, future HOF, genius Positives : 347 wins, career ERA of 3.11, ERA+ of 134, 3273 strikeouts, career BB/K ratio of 3.37 etcetera etcetera yada yada. He's posted ERA's over 4 the past few seasons, but he's still at or below the league average anyway. You can't argue with his legacy, his ability, or his competitiveness. Little injury history to speak of. His knowledge would benefit the young pitchers on the staff. My first instinct when considering this guy is "Screw Maddux", but the fact is, he turned in a better season than Glavine did, at the same age, for less money. He's tossed close to 200 playoff innings as well. Negatives : For what it's worth, he's got the former Brave tag, but that was a few years ago. He doesn't throw as many innings as he used to. Wears glasses. I dunno. The more I think about it, the fewer negatives I find. Upside : I don't know about a HUGE upside, but it would be reasonable to expect 190-200 IP with an ERA around 4.00 given what he's been doing the past few years. Downside : With geezers like Maddux, there's always the possibility of a precipitous decline in ability, or an increased risk of injury. Health Status : Suffered from a strained back last September which limited his innings down the stretch. Tweaked a hamstring back in July or something, didn't miss a start. what it would cost the Mets : He's got an $8.75 million player option (he'll probably decline). The team holds an $11 million option. Padres GM Kevin Towers is confident the Padres can bring him back at approximately the same price as last season ($10 million). It would likely take a significantly higher offer (or at least a guaranteed second year) to pry him out of sunny San Diego. Would you go 2 years/18-20 million for Maddux? Would it be worth it : Sure, why not? I think the Mets would have to take a serious look at the guy, and at least find out what it would take to bring him in. 10-12 million should buy you league-average performance, superior knowledge, and playoff experience, right?

Frayed Knot Nov 01 2007 07:46 AM

[overused]Eh, anyone could finish off a profile of Victor Zambrano in ten minutes[/joke]

metirish Nov 01 2007 01:05 PM

Some of this is unbelievable . [url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-spjim1102,0,4096687.column]Mets signing Schilling is a no-brainer[/url] Sticking it to the yankees is not a reason to sign Schilling or anyone for that matter.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 01 2007 01:17 PM

Shilling looks like he's pregnant recently.

Benjamin Grimm Nov 01 2007 01:26 PM

metirish wrote: Sticking it to the yankees is not a reason to sign Schilling or anyone for that matter. No, it really isn't. But it could be a reason for some fans to be excited about a move. And these columnists are playing to the fans, not mapping team strategy. What they're saying is, "The Mets should do this because the Yankees would hate it" but what they really mean, I think, is "Mets fans should love this because Yankees fans would hate it."

smg58 Nov 01 2007 05:04 PM

Please refer to my comments in the A-Rod thread regarding sticking it to the Yankees. I'm inclined to give more concern to whether a move would put us back on top in the division and advance us in the playoffs than how the Yankees or their fans would feel about it. Perhaps my priorities are misplaced. That being said, I'm not against taking a look at Schilling. My concern is certainly not with his ability, but with whether the Mets can afford a third aging injury risk in their rotation.

metirish Nov 02 2007 08:09 PM

Why would Kris Benson be the most looked up yesterday on UMDB?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 02 2007 08:15 PM

Option not picked up by Baltimore. That sets the entire Benson Bunch free except Derek Lowe, I believe

metirish Nov 02 2007 08:16 PM

Thanks bucket, your coming through big time tonight.

Benjamin Grimm Nov 03 2007 04:29 AM

Usually when Benson wins the day it's because of something his wife said or did.

Edgy DC Nov 03 2007 06:55 AM

That's a slow news day that drives Benson to a hit win on a Mets site becausethe Oriles didn't pick up his option.

OlerudOwned Nov 04 2007 05:57 PM

Mark Redman Age: 34 this January Throws: Left Bats: Left Height: 6'5'' Weight: 220 Baseball-Reference URL/Webcam Porn Handle: redmama01 Stuff: Pure nibbling. Has a softie of a fastball that he spells with a change. When the change is on, the speed difference is enough to make him successful. When it's not, he's basically throwing BP. Scouts Inc. sez he also mixes in a mediocre curve and splitter. Career: Has never stayed with a team for consecutive seasons aside from a few season at the start of his career in Minnesota, who drafted him 13th overall in 1995. That right there should tell you something. Career seems to have peaked in 2003, where he was very solid in the middle of the World Champion Florida Marlins' rotation. He did, however, get roughed up for 11 runs in 12 innings over 3 starts in the NLCS and World Series. He won two of those games. Go fig'gre. Since then, he's made stops in Oakland (2004), Pittsburgh (2005), and Kansas City (2006). Each was lousy without being spectacularly bad, and they'd be entirely unmemorable if not for his 2006 All-Star selection as the Royals representative (despite having a 5.40 ERA through July) because of that stupid rule about every team getting an All-Star. I don't think any Royals fans were inspired to watch because Redman was chilling in the bullpen for 9 innings, but I digress. Despite being a certified All-Star, he didn't get a contract until March 9th of '07 when the Braves signed him to a minor league deal. He got his first start on April 6th against the Mets, and it was the start of a month and a half of pure rumphing that ended when Atlanta cut his ass on May 22. The carnage included 28 earned runs over 21.2 innings for an 11.63 ERA, and 2.26 WHIP, and 13K/11BB. Texas picked him up a week later, but he requested release. The nerve. Then it was a minor league deal with Toronto, but he sucked in AAA and got released. Finally, it was a deal to pitch with Colorado's AA squad. Like everything Colorado did in September, the move turned to gold as he moved though AAA and eventually make a few spot stats and relief appearences for the Rox. Not wanting to push their luck, they didn't let him touch the ball in the playoffs, keeping him as an emergency man in the NLDS and leaving him off the Championship and World Series rosters. The Scenario: I wouldn't go near him. What I look for in my emergency starter bums is either some sort of live stuff, or prior success. That's why I liked the Sosa, Lawrence, and Park signings, but Redman doesn't have it.

Edgy DC Nov 04 2007 07:42 PM

"Wow, that's harsh," I thought, "glad we don't have him." "Let's see. I'm going to entertain myself with some Diamond Mind tonight. Who is next up for me in my rotation?" "Redman? Shit!"

smg58 Nov 05 2007 06:46 AM

[url]http://www.nypost.com/seven/11052007/sports/scott_stove_league_846843.htm[/url] Somebody from the Post is suggesting that Scott Kazmir might be on the block. I don't see the logic to that at all, but the same article is now the second to mention Tim Lincecum. I suppose we have to ask about them, but I'll be completely dumbfounded if either of them gets moved.

Nymr83 Nov 05 2007 10:03 AM

baseball writers need something to write about, even if they have to make it up

Vic Sage Nov 05 2007 11:48 AM

metirish wrote: Some of this is unbelievable . [url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-spjim1102,0,4096687.column]Mets signing Schilling is a no-brainer[/url] Sticking it to the yankees is not a reason to sign Schilling or anyone for that matter. He was saying it was one of the reasons why SCHILLING might want to sign with the Mets, not that it was one of the reasons why the Mets would want to sign him. And i'd be happy to have him.

Iubitul Nov 05 2007 12:11 PM

Nymr83 wrote: baseball writers need something to write about, even if they have to make it up ugh. This off season has already been too long...

smg58 Nov 05 2007 04:52 PM

Get ready to cross Maddux off the list; he and the Padres have apparently agreed on one year and $10M. [url]http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3096282[/url]

Benjamin Grimm Nov 06 2007 03:55 AM

="Associated Press"]Curt Schilling, Red Sox making progress toward a new contract By RONALD BLUM, AP Baseball Writer November 5, 2007 ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Curt Schilling and the Boston Red Sox are making progress toward a contract that would allow him to remain with the World Series champions. While the sides have not yet reached an agreement, talks have gained momentum and it is possible an agreement could be reached within a few days, a person familiar with the talks said Monday night, speaking on condition of anonymity because a deal had not yet been struck. The progress in the negotiations was first reported by the Boston Herald on its Web site. Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein declined comment.

SteveJRogers Nov 28 2007 06:47 PM

Jeff Weaver Probably an AL version of Kris Benson, only with less overall success. Drafted in the first round by the Tigers in 1998, came up in 1999 and pitched with some degree of sucess with some dreadfull Detroit teams. He was part of a massive three team trade in July of 2002 that, at the time, seemed to be one of those "the rich GET RICHER" type of deals as Weaver was sent to the Yankees, although the Tigers eventually ended up with Jeremy Bonderman in the deal. Weaver's run with the Yankees though is a major con for the Mets to even consider him. The guy was yet another name to add to the Ed Whitsons, and Steve Trouts of the world. Do I even have to mention his implosion during the 2003 World Series? In what has to be more evidence that maybe there is such a thing as "The Curse Of The Metellenium" against the Yankees, Weaver wound up being traded for Kevin Brown! Even after moving to the NL, Weaver never quite regained whatever it was that made him a desirable talent in 2002, and has become essentially yet another mediocre starter just trying to keep the career going. While his brother Jered, in just two seasons, has seemingly surpased him in every way possible! Interestingly enough though, Weaver does own a World Championship ring, at the expense of the city that scourned him, and the city that drafted him and then sent him to the aforementioned city. Should the Mets get him? HELL NO! Not good enough to be considered a decent retread pickup, not to mention his failures in 2002 and 2003 are so fresh in the media's mind that even though he won't be in Yankee pinstripes, it would be hard for him to escape that past. Not to mention that the Mets have gone down this road quite frequently, and even if they want to still go down the road, there are more attractive hurlers out there than Jeff Weaver.

Nymr83 Nov 28 2007 08:36 PM

there'd be worse things than a 1-year deal to jeff weaver. as long as its only 1 year the mets could cut bait at any time.