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Jorge Sosa

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 09 2008 09:21 AM

OK in the spirit of having new threads and something to talk about, let's talk about Jorge Sosa. Reactionary fans wanted to shoot Omar when he signed this guy, based on his terrible results from 06. Then he got a chance to pitch in and 6 of his first 7 starts were great. He began to struggle in July and so was moved to the bullpen, where in a similar pattern to starting, he was effective at first then not so effective. Add it all up and you get a ERA+ of 95. Not bad at all for a long reliever/spot starter/No. 5 guy, if that's how you see him. Or is he a short guy? Perifily, he wallks too many guys and strikes out too few but his HR rate was scarily acceptable: down 67% from 2006! What's the deal with this guy, and how do you see him helping out the 08ers?

Benjamin Grimm Jan 09 2008 09:24 AM

I see him as Pat Mahomes. Or Tom Gorman. In other words, long reliever/spot starter/guy who you hold in reserve in a long extra-inning game. If I remember correctly, and I may not, in a rare positive moment during the Collapse, somebody here (and it might have been Mr. Dickshot) proclaimed that Sosa "saved the season." I can't remember the details, though.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 09 2008 09:33 AM

Vaguely recall that now. Was it him, or was it Sele? Or Schoeneweis?

Benjamin Grimm Jan 09 2008 09:37 AM

I think it was Sosa, but I can't remember which game it might have been. Let me do some searching...

metirish Jan 09 2008 09:38 AM

First is he signed for 08?, I like the Pat Mahomes comparison. I think we really need to see how the pen shakes out but I would think Jones would fill various rolls like Sele did.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 09 2008 09:39 AM

Here it is, September 19 in Washington: http://cranepoolforum.net/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?p=184186

AG/DC Jan 09 2008 09:48 AM

Great thread.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 09 2008 09:56 AM

Sosa won a rare Schaefer POTG for a middle reliever in that game. He came in in the 6th, 0 outs, 2 on and the Mets leading 5-3. Whiffed D'Angelo Jiminez and got Nook Logan in a DP. Then he threw a scoreless 7th. The very next night he gave up the final 3 runs in the 'lets-waste-Marlon-Anderson's-clutch-3-run-double/where-the-hell-is-Wagner game.

AG/DC Jan 09 2008 09:59 AM

Sosa seemingly has a place on this team, but the pitching collapse was so complete --- particluarly in the bullpen --- last September, I just wonder at the psychic scars still left behind with some of these guys. Their scars or the scars of the fans who may reject them all. Heilman was the only performer who I remember showing any consistnecy at all down the stretch, and not overwhelmingly so by any stretch.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 09 2008 10:16 AM

It's all like a giant blur to me now but my recollection was that Heilman was OK in the stretch, as was Schoeneweis (!) who wound up with a save or two while Wagner was crying over his own sore back while stabbing Willie & Rick's.

metirish Jan 09 2008 10:28 AM

Doesn't seem like much now but Sosa stopped the bleeding in the final game when he came out of the pen for Glavine , whiffed a bunch IIRC .

smg58 Jan 09 2008 11:01 AM

Sosa was very effective when he was not overused. As a starter he was doing fine up to the eight shutout innings against Detroit, where he threw 116 pitches (his second highest amount was 104). After that he struggled. His first appearance in the pen came on July 31; between then and August 29 he threw 20 relief innings, boasting a 2.70 ERA in that stretch. 20 innings in a month would translate into 120 innings over the season; by contrast, nobody threw more relief innings overall in 2007 than Heath Bell's 93. In other words, I don't care if you've been starting, 20 relief innings in a month is a LOT, and they took their toll. His consistency vanished in September, and despite a few good outings his ERA for the month was 6.57. So if you acknowledge his limits, I think he can be a big asset for the club. The catch is, the Mets need a dependable sixth starter, AND they need a dependable innings-eater supporting Wagner and Heilman in the pen. Right now Sosa is the best option for both, but they only have one of him. Maybe Sanchez can give us 80+ innings out of the pen, but who's counting on that? Or, do you leave Sosa in the pen and hope that subjecting one of Pelfrey/Mulvey Humber to the New York-New Orleans shuffle doesn't have any residual effects?

AG/DC Jan 09 2008 11:11 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 09 2008 11:14 AM

Good post, but I think a bullpen horse is more important than a "dependable sixth starter," which is something of a luxury when most teams would love to have a dependable fourth and fifth guy and some are looking for a number three. <<< On edit: Whoah, Rey Sanchez.

Fman99 Jan 09 2008 11:12 AM

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Sosa won a rare Schaefer POTG for a middle reliever in that game. He came in in the 6th, 0 outs, 2 on and the Mets leading 5-3. Whiffed D'Angelo Jiminez and got Nook Logan in a DP. Then he threw a scoreless 7th. The very next night he gave up the final 3 runs in the 'lets-waste-Marlon-Anderson's-clutch-3-run-double/where-the-hell-is-Wagner game. Sadly, I don't much recall the Nationals game... yet I remember the Marlins game the next night with brilliant clarity.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 09 2008 11:14 AM

The Marlins game the next night is what put me in the "fire Willie" camp. I was aghast and dismayed when he gave a quick hook to Feliciano. It smelled like a panic move at the time he made it, and it turned out so horribly.

mario25 Jan 09 2008 12:33 PM Sosa's role

I can see Sosa as an Emergency starter/Long Reliever. I also think he would do a good job as a 7th inning guy if Sanchez/Padilla/whoever else does not pan out