My Thoughts on The 2010 Mets Rotation

My Thoughts on The 2010 Mets Rotation


I talk to a lot of people about the Mets. Names aren’t important, but what they do is. They play, used to play, teach, instruct, pay, write about, represent, and root for the Mets. With that:

SP1: Johan Santana – he’s going nowhere and is ready for the season to start.

SP2: Oliver Perez – Yes, Perez is currently the SP2 because, potentially, he has the talent to sustain that position. You can’t pay someone like this the kind of money he gets and not pitch him, and he will pitch for the Mets in April to either prove 2009 was an aberration, or he will become the president of the Freddy Garcia fan club.

SP3: Mike Pelfrey – I hate to put any pressure on big Mike (as if I’m capable of doing that), but he just may be the key to a playoff season. If Mike duplicates what he was capable of doing in college, the Mets will be in a pennant race all season.

SP4: John Maine – you have to write off the entire 2009 season when it comes to Maine. He never was 100%. He is now, and he’s ready.

SP5: Nelson Figueroa – second on the 2009 team to Santana in most innings per game thrown, Figgy will go to camp with the SP5 in his pocket. What he does with it depends on his intensity, who the Mets sign before then, and how Jonathan Niese’s recovery is coming along.

Right now, the only other candidate for the rotation is Niese, but that was quite the injury last year and there is no way he goes to cold NYC in April. He will start the season in Extended Camp.

Remember, the real rotation won’t form until near the end of April.

Lastly, yes, the Mets will someone that will slot in either 2,3,4, or 5. My guess is Ben Sheets, but whomever it is, will push back some of the five I listed above. Still all five, plus the new guy, will compete inST for those five slots and only three are locked in: Santana, Perez, and Pelfrey. They are contracted starters that will be in the Mets rotation in April, whether you bitch about it on line, or not.