Cliffy, Platoon Candidate? - Part Trois

What is the below?

.262
.239
.224
.100

If you said a negative trend, you would be right. If you said Cliff Floyd's batting average against lefties in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006, you would be right as well.

Cliff Floyd has a potent bat. Well, maybe I should be using past tense ‘had’, but I personally do not think he is done just yet. He has hit the ball hard a lot this year, but just in the wrong places. So far this year, Cliff Floyd is on pace for 158 games, 71 runs scored, 16 doubles, 16 homers, 76 RBIs, 60 strikeouts, and 60 walks with a sub .200 batting average. The number that jumps out at me the most is 158 games. That is a lot for a guy who has not hit a lick and he is due to play in every single baseball game this year but four.

Given Cliff Floyd's age and health history, he is one guy that is just going to eventually drop off in production fast rather than a slow decline. Is this the year? Maybe, but it is getting to the point where you have to start thinking it might not be a bad month and he cannot be getting this many at-bats. Since the second half of last year, he has now played in 99 games and put up 14 doubles, 2 triples, 15 homeruns, 57 RBIs, a .234 batting average, and a .408 slg. When you expand the sample size, the results are not good. What other options are there? Not many. Victor Diaz, Chris Woodward, Endy Chavez, and Jose Valentin are out there.

We'll just erase Valentin out of the equation for obvious reasons leaving three options. With the bad bat that Floyd has had this year, he at least contributed by saving quite a few runs. Diaz could not have done that and Woodward certainly could not have done that. The Mets showed a willingness to take on a weak offensive second baseman in the name of defense and Endy Chavez has hit lefties to the tune of .276/.312/.384 from 2003 to 2005. Chavez is the only real viable option with the big league club.

Giving Endy more playing time does not necessitate a roster move like bringing Diaz up and although it is not optimal to have a lefty/lefty platoon, it calls for a look. I’m not suggesting he just sits against lefties since the Mets could conceivably not face a left starter the entire week, but he should start sitting a game or two a week until he catches on and especially against lefties. If he starts to heat up, great. If not, at least he is getting some seemingly much needed rest and giving the Mets a chance to get some production out of left field. Although earlier in the year me suggesting such a thing would have been unthinkable, the Mets have strong hitters in the eight and nine spots of the order and Chavez can slide right into the eight spot. Hopefully Floyd is not done and will eventually produce at which point he can resume getting the lion's share of playing time, but soon, his playing time is going to have to start getting affected. If it drags on later through the summer, Victor Diaz should get some serious consideration as a call-up and start sharing time with Cliff Floyd in left so the Mets could keep some consistent offensive output from every spot in the lineup.

* * *

S.U.C.K. M.E. alert! S.U.C.K. M.E. alert!

Courtesy of Hubie from the comments @ Metsgeek.com">.

Is that good or bad for us?

The Milwaukee Brewers recalled left-hander Dana Eveland from Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday after placing Ben Sheets on the 15-day disabled list because of tendonitis in his right shoulder.

Eveland was 3-1 with a 0.75 ERA in six starts for Nashville. He’s scheduled to start Saturday night at home against the New York Mets.

Sheets, who began the season on the disabled list with a strained shoulder, is 1-3 with a 6.64 ERA in four starts. He missed a scheduled start on Sunday, and right-hander Ben Hendrickson was to take his turn Thursday. Sheets went on the disabled list retroactive to May 3.

S.U.C.K. M.E. indeed. Who knew the Mets would probably rather face Ben Sheets?

Also from the comments courtesy of PDNH:

Valentin is a switch hitter which provides us with versatility. He can make outs from both sides of the plate.

It's funny because It's true.

The CY Young predictor from ESPN has three Mets in the top ten, but don't let your eyes wander north of the top ten in the NL. If you do, excessive hyperventilating and a possible desire to inflict pain upon yourself may occur. You have been warned.

More DIPS...I figured it would be fun to take a look at some of the Mets top pitching prospects and their DIPS era. Ok, well maybe it's not fun per se, but how about mildly interesting?

Mike Pelfrey had a dirty DIPS ERA of 1.95 to a 2.56 actual. He's basically right on.

Alay Soler has been really good this year. Reeeeeaaaalllly good. His 4.93 h/9 is just silly and he also posted a 10.64 k/9, a 5.13 k/bb ratio, and has not allowed a homerun this year. He has a sparkling 0.77 ERA between AA and high A. His DIPS ERA was 1.69, so he is pretty much on because getting a sub 1.00 DIPS ERA is pretty impossible.

Jon Niese surprised me a bit. He has given up more than a hit an inning and walked 4.18 batters per nine innings. What he has going for him is that he has kept the ball in the park and not allowed one homerun this year while owning a 10.02 K/9 ratio. His DIPS ERA is 2.58 to his actual ERA of 3.34.

Finally, Jose Sanchez. Sanchez has posted a 0.90 WHIP and a 2.75 k/bb ratio. His DIPS ERA is 3.42 and his actual ERA is 2.18. He has been a nice surprise this year and he has decent stuff and could emerge as a solid pitching prospect for the Mets this year.

From brian b...

Creighton has an ambidextrous pitcher and he is not so surprisingly the only one in Division I baseball do it.

"I have average stuff from both sides, and I really think it takes me to pitch with both arms even to be a little bit effective here," Venditte said. "It throws the hitters off and it gives me the advantage almost every at-bat. I need every inch I can take."

I have the ability to not look like a girl when I throw with my non-natural hand and that is something to hang my hat on at the end of the day.

Notes from NorthJersey.com:

One thing in Jose Lima's favor -- the opponent.

He's taking on the Milwaukee Brewers, a team that he has a 10-0 lifetime mark against with a 1.92 ERA. The grain of salt to take that with -- Lima has not faced the Brewers since 2001.

On hold

Brian Bannister will bump either Lima or Jeremi Gonzalez from the rotation when he gets back from the strained hamstring that has sidelined him, but it will be at least one day longer than expected.

Bannister was scheduled to throw a simulated game today, but it was pushed back to Saturday because physically he was not quite ready. The one positive is that he may not need to take the expected minor league rehab start before returning to the roster.

First, on Lima Time!. I don't care about past numbers. Throw those out. Only Geoff Jenkins remains from that team so it might as well be a team from Japan.

Second, on Bannister. If they expect to throw him up against the Yankees and skip a rehab start, that's nuts. However, I guess they have little choice since a bad Brian Bannister might be better than a good Lima Time! or Jeremi Gonzalez.

As mad as I am at Aaron Rowan, I have to give him credit. That catch was amazing. It was the best play that I've ever seen when you factor in the complete disregard for his body. I guess he did not get the memo that it was not the playoffs, but that was just nasty.

"The Rowand play was the greatest play I've ever seen in my life," Mets starting pitcher Steve Trachsel said. "As far as sacrificing your body, I've never seen anything like that. It was unbelievable."

What did that play do to me? Let's see. It took away a hit and three RBIs from Xavier Nady on my fantasy team and made benching Gavin Floyd one of the dumbest moves of the year. That ball falls in, I look like a genius. That ball gets caught, I miss out on offensive numbers and a complete game win on the pitching end. Now I know how managers feel.

If you woke up this morning and said, "I want to read a fluff piece on Mike Pelfrey", you are in luck.

Check out Mets Weekly tomorrow at 12:30 PM. This weeks program focuses on the Tides and the call up process from AAA to the majors. The show premiers on SNY at 12:30 on Saturday.