Warming Up To Weaver

As of now, Victor Zambrano is not bad for fifth starter. He'll shit the bed some games and he go through stretches where he will give you quality game after quality game.

DATE        IP   BB   SO   DEC   ERA
April     26.1   17   23   1-3  5.81
May         23   17   14   1-2  3.52
June      32.2   13   20   2-1  2.48
July      34.2   10   17   1-3  3.63
August    29.1    9   14   2-1  5.22
September 14.2    8   16   0-1  3.07
October    5.2    3    8   0-1  9.53

For three consecutive months, Zambrano put up some pretty solid numbers. However, if Victor Zambrano does not have to be your fifth starter, he shouldn't be. I do not buy the entire 'he's your fifth starter argument' and you shouldn't expect much from that spot anyway. Though Zambrano was solid over a long period of time, he was wildly inconsistent over a long period of time too which subsequently led to him losing his starting job.

Date    Opp. Result  ER   H ER HR  W SO   ERA
Jul 22  LAD  L 6-5  4.2  10  6  1  0  1 12.86
Jul 27 @COL  W 9-3    7   5  2  0  3  5  2.57
Aug 2   MIL  W 9-8  1.1   7  6  4  0  2 49.09
Aug 7   CHC  W 6-1    8   5  1  0  2  1  1.13
Aug 12 @LAD  L 7-6    6   6  5  0  4  5  7.50
Aug 18  PIT  L 5-0    6   6  4  1  1  3  6.00
Aug 23 @ARI  W 14-1   8   6  1  0  2  3  1.13
Sep 2 @FLA   L 4-2    5  12  4  0  1  3  7.20

That would be eight seriously inconsistent starts. Should the Mets just settle for that out of the fifth with what they are going to try and accomplish this year? Of course, there is the little problem of a roster crunch. Billy Wagner, Duaner Sanchez, Jorge Julio, Yusaku Iriki, and Chad Bradford are already slated to make the bullpen and with the Mets presumably taking a seven man bullpen to keep a LOOGY in the mix, Victor Zambrano would take the last spot in the bullpen at $3,000,000 and therefore push a more deserving player who can probably serve the team better in that role.

Regardless of all that, the goal should be to field the best team. Would there be any takers for a cheap starter like Victor Zambrano? There was not much interest so far, but you never know what can happen towards the start of the season when teams have a clearer picture of who will contribute. In terms of fielding the best team, I'm warming up to Jeff Weaver. Weaver might be an addition that could take this team to the next level. Andrew already went over this at Metsgeek.com back on January 16th.

Back then, I was against the deal. Now, I'm not so sure he wouldn't be the guy to help put this team over the top. Yes, he is not what the Mets need in terms of probably needing one power arm to round out the rotation, but the biggest thing I'm warming up to his ability to eat innings. The only year he failed to get at least 200 innings since 2000 was when he got bumped from the rotation in his only full year with the Yankees. Since 2000, he has put up 200, 229.1, 200.2, 159.1, 220, and 224. In a rotation that features veterans Pedro Martinez, Steve Trachsel, and Tom Glavine and a first year Major League starter in Aaron Heilman, it might not hurt to hedge your bets and save your bullpen with a guy that can eat 220 innings.

The way it stands right now, the Mets payroll is approximately $100.5 million and Omar presumably has some wiggle room. Taking a queue from Kevin Millwood last season, it stands to reason Weaver might be had for $8 or $9 million since there are only two weeks before pitchers and catchers report and he has nothing going on. The only team that has really been tied to Jeff is the Indians, and that is more dependent on whether Jake Westbrook is dealt. If Westbrook stays, there is one less suitor for Jeff Weaver. Who else is in the market for him? No one I can tell. Anyone interested will be looking for a one year deal and Mets should jump in on that even if it means cutting one of their guaranteed contracts like Iriki in the bullpen or trading Zambrano for nothing in salary dump to anyone that would take him even if they have to kick in half the money.

I doubt Omar makes that move, but with Weaver turning 30 next season, he will be able to fetch a three year deal if he has a strong season this year and the Mets could even piggy back off that and offer him arbitration. Imagine that, the Mets getting a compensation pick? Unfathomable. There is no doubt he adds a lot to the rotation and though he is not the ace they need, he adds more stability and that is something to hang you hat on at the end of the day especially when it comes down to playing some September ball and trying make the playoffs.

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Hair cut? Check. Cleanly shaven face? Check. $52 million contract? Check. Frosted hair? Check.



"Manny really wants out of Boston, just so he can relax and chill," Damon told Kay. "If he played for the Mets, he probably wouldn't be able to chill much. But I think the Yankees would be a perfect fit for him, as well as for David Ortiz."

Wait. He'll be able to 'chill' with the Yankees, but not with the Mets? Yeah, the Bronx is really a conducive atmosphere to flying under the radar. Jackass.

Andy Pettite back to the Yanks? Does anyone care? I do. I hope he does because I think he would be a disaster at a very high price tag.

Should Roberto Clemente's number be retired a la Jackie Robinson's number 42? I think he should be celebrated, but I'm not one for retiring the numbers of every person that had an immense effect on the game. Will it be Australians calling for Craig Shipley's number to be retired next? I understand Shipley did not exactly transcend the game like Clemente, but you get the idea.

"He's been great for Australian baseball," Deeble said of Shipley. "He doesn't get the credit he deserves, and I say that to young kids that sign, he's the reason they've had an opportunity. He's the reason there are 30 scouts out here in Australia. He started this whole thing by getting to the big leagues and staying there for the amount of time that he did. That gave Graeme Lloyd the chance, it gave Nilsson the chance. He put Australia on the map."

Of course the importance of these players can't be understated, but isn't Cooperstown supposed to take care of these types of things?

No pressure Francisco.

Some scouts say Liriano's stuff is better than that of Twins teammate Johan Santana, the 2004 American League Cy Young Award winner. They say Liriano throws harder, has a better slider and owns a changeup that is equal in quality.