1/6/20

OPEN THREAD - Matz to the Pen




Aurelio Morales asked Michael Baron on Twitter:

@michaelgbaron do you think the Mets could go with an all rightie rotation and move Matz to the bullpen so that they could have another reliable left hander coming out of the pen?

Baron:

The only way that happens as of now is if Matz struggles in the rotation again. And if he is moved to the bullpen, you can hardly call him reliable.

Thoughts?

7 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

I will say this - nice to have pitching depth in case Matz craps the bed.

I don't think he will, though.

He had a strong second half. He may be ready to accelerate finally.

But a guy can struggle as a lefty starter and excel as a reliever too - just ask Ollie Perez.

Reese Kaplan said...

Or ask Drew Pomeranz.

Tom Brennan said...

Yep, Reese.

Pomeranz's career as a starter? 4.25 ERA, while just 2.72 as a reliever.

Higher K rate, too, by about 2 Ks per 9 IP.

Mack Ade said...

I would hope that Gonsalves and/or Zamora get a chance here first.

Tom Brennan said...

Mack, remarkably, ZiPS has extremely similar projections for Justin Wilson and Daniel Zamora - projected ERAs for both within a few points of one another in the mid 3's.

I'd say Zamora has an excellent shot in 2020 with the Mets.

Reese Kaplan said...

Gonsalves was a waiver pick-up, not a Rule V, so he does not have the obligation to begin the year on the 25/26 man roster. Zamora has had his ups and downs (mostly downs at the big league level). Either could surprise or neither could, but in-house options are more interesting to me than going outside until you have proven to be incapable of working at the major league level.

Zozo said...

I would put Matz in the bullpen first. If one of the bottom of staff can’t get it done they switch.