Baseball is all about innovations. As the game evolves, it is the duty of managers to become more creative with their rosters. Throughout the history of the sport this has been apparent. Whether it’s the creation of a new pitch, the emergence of the closer role, the addition of the DH or the changing of field dimensions, baseball is in constant motion.
With all of the adaptations in the game, you can’t make an omelet without
cracking a few eggs.There have been many bad ideas throughout baseball history
as well. Whether it’s the idea of using a lefty reliever for one batter or pinch
hitting a good hitter but bad fielder in late innings of a close game or even
intentionally walking the eighth hitter, there are many bad decisions managers
make that are never questioned and have become the bad ideas that are woven into
the fabric of the game.
It seems that New York Mets manager Terry Collins has the newest one. He plans
to utilize the starting pitchers depth by switching to a six man rotation when
Dillon Gee returns in the next week or so. On the surface, this sounds logical.
After all, there are currently five starting pitchers before Gee returns. His
return will make a crowded rotation.
That doesn’t count the outstanding prospect in Las Vegas, Steve Matz, who is
rapidly making his case for a call up. Just imagine if Zack Wheeler had stayed
healthy. It’s a GM’s dream to have a wealth of solid starting pitching, yet,
Mets GM Sandy Alderson has been unable to deal one or two.
The answer according to Collins is to start all of them rather than make a
decision. While Collins thinks it will work, players like Matt Harvey have
spoken out against it. This can become a major problem for three reasons: too
much rest, unnecessary tension and not addressing the bullpen depth.
First, it’s important to understand that athletes are all about routine. If
someone or something breaks that routine, it can dramatically impact their
performance. Starting pitchers are used to getting the ball every fifth day and
throwing side sessions in between the wait. Usually a pitcher is raring to go
even before that fifth day.
Now, add another day to that waiting period. It may not effect their velocity,
in fact the extra day to rest may help it, but it can certainly effect their
control. Particularly early in the game as they try to find a feel for their
pitches that day. That’s not what a team that scores in streaks this season
really needs. So far, the one consistent factor the Mets have had has been their
dominant starting pitching.
If Collins begins to fiddle around with the strongest group of the team, it will
most certainly will have a major impact on the team as a whole and that will
show more and more in the box scores as the season progresses.
Next, as I just mentioned, it impacts the team as a whole. It creates bad blood
and unneeded rivalries between teammates that didn’t previously exist. While
this starting rotation does have a competitive nature with one another, thus
far, it has been a friendly competition. Add a sixth man, limit the pitchers’
starts and innings more than they already are and intensify every start further
and it will bound to cause friction in the clubhouse.
That can spill out into their performances. The more negative emotion off the
field, the more negative display of emotion on the field. The pressure builds
and builds until suddenly someone implodes and it costs the team. It’s happened
all over the league, it has even happened here. It’s not a good idea to repeat
that.
Finally, adding the sixth man fails to address a need: the thinning bullpen.
It’s bad enough that Collins taxes this bullpen as it is, but when a fresh arm
becomes available, he’d rather add that depth to the rotation and continue to
tax the already thin bullpen. This is a bullpen that has recently been showing
cracks.
While it’s true that Bobby Parnell is close to a return, they are still far away
from a guarantee that he will be the pitcher he was before. The way Collins
utilizes his pitching staff, an extra long reliever would be beneficial. Before
the season, Gee was potentially slated for that job and then Zack Wheeler went
down. Why was putting Gee in the bullpen a great idea then, but not now?
In closing, one thing is clearly apparent. Terry Collins has many bad ideas.
This is the same manager that thought to bat Ruben Tejada in the leadoff spot
and platoon the outfield with Chris Young.This is just another example of his
poor roster management. If it doesn’t work out this time, however, there is more
at stake to lose than just a handful of games. There are fragile psyches to be
shattered. This is a manager that is good for doing that.
Gee in the pen being able to give a manager 2 innings in relief every 2 or 3 days should be a blessing and ease some of the stress that Collins puts on it. You can then better manage the starters by not having them unnecessarily go the extra inning where they start to lose their effectiveness. Montero will be back in July so I don’t think the Met’s will be looking to add any depth outside of the organization for the pen. Let’s thinker with the only thing the Met’s have that isn’t broken. I think Collins and Jennings of Miami must be related.
Sandy needs to trade a pitcher for a bat asap. We desperately need a 4th outfielder and have too many pitchers.
Dillon Gee is a competent MLB starter and I’m grateful for his pitching the last few years.
But, it will be a good day when we no longer make decisions based on what’s best for Dillon Gee and instead base them on what’s best for the team.
Is a six-man rotation right now the best thing for the team? Maybe, although I can’t say for sure. What I am more certain about is that even if this was TC’s idea – which I doubt – it had to be approved by Alderson.
I dont like it, but I like it better than other options. Heres why
Noah Syndergaard: 2014 IP = 133, projected 2015 = 173
Matt Harvey: 2014 IP = 0, projected 2015 = 170-180
Jacob deGrom: 2014 IP = 180, projected 2015 = 200
If these guys are our primary arms, we are sadly short of September, let alone Oct. So they either need to go to 6 or: sit out for a couple weeks, only pitch 5 inning per game, or (like with Strasburg) go full tilt until shut down.
We can with with these guys. But we cant if the rotation excludes them. What I see is a team planning for playing relevant baseball in September (…and beyond)…and not be limited by having a list of shut down first-rate arms. Matz is knocking too, but he had 140 IP last year. Hes heading for 180…again, no hope for late season if he keeps pitching in AAA.
Great point. This is just a momentary breather for Harvey, deGrom and Syndergaard to hopefully get them all to the promised land of the postseason. Meanwhile, the real competition is between Gee, Niese and Colon to decide who’s going and who’s staying. I doubt this will last into August though.
TC didn’t make this decision, you have to understand that. 7 starters counting Matz, 8 when Montero comes back. An embarrassment of riches. If you can’t or won’t trade them the 6 man rotation makes sense. DeGrom and Harvey probably shouldn’t throw 180 innings. Neise won’t. Neither will Gee. Why not protect Syndergard, Montero and Matz? if you can’t trade one or even two of them it seems like a good idea.
If you add Wheeler that makes 9 for 2016
The premise is correct, although I think your pointing your fingers at the wrong guy here.
TC sucks in his own right, but this problem is all on Alderson.
Alderson foolishly signed Colon to a 2 year deal. Alderson wouldn’t give him away for free last year. Alderson didn’t cut bait with him when no one wanted him. Alderson refuses to do anything unless a gun is pointed at his head.
We don’t know, with certainty, that Alderson runs the on-field things, yet in reading quotes, I am strongly convinced that he is.
I think Alderson reveals an ego that should he give $ to a player who does not deserve playing time, said player is going to get playing time no matter what, a la Chris Young last year.
Add to this mix, I so want to see Matz called up.
I love the rotation of:
Harvey
DeGrom
Noah S
Matz
Gee could give us quality middle relief innings while giving us reasonable spot starting when a break is needed in late summer.
Montero will need starts to build his trade value.
I just do not want to see Syndergaard or Matz traded.
With these four arms, and Wheeler next year (!), there is not a game to visit Citi Field where the excitement and potential is absent.
I know we need bats, but I hope these four are untouchables. It is thrilling to see them pitch.
And even then he’s going to ask what kind of bullets are in the gun so he can ascertain how serious the threat is.
Both of you…stop it. Sandy is a premier MLB GM. And he’s our superstar. Just ask Uncle Buddy.
I’d rather the team have a five man rotation and then give Harvey a break and let Gee pitch in that spot. Even if Syndergaard needed to miss a start, Gee could fill in. It is frustrating to see this happen, as the Mets are finally competitive, however this could mess things up for the season. Nice article Frank!
If you think Terry Collins is making these decisions, you are kind of missing just about everything that’s been going on with this team the past 4 1/2 years.
It’s like blaming the waiter for an overcooked steak.
James I said that back in March. The team doesn’t know how Harvey is going to hold up for the season. If you have inning restrictions for the young pitchers coming up why not have Gee or Montero start those games? I would rather see Harvey have 28 effective starts then see him on the DL for a tired arm. Very poor planning and anticipation by the front office. That’s why the Cardinals are in first place and the Met’s are not. The Cardinals are proactive while the Met’s are consistently reactive to their misfortunes. On a side note. The Dodgers are looking for a fifth starter.
The Mets strength is their starting pitching and they have the luxury of having six healthy ones. Should the Mets use all six starters? Emphatically yes! Should the Mets use a six man rotation? Not the way they plan to. Why don’t they stay on a five man rotation and skip a different starter each time through the rotation and replace that starter with Gee. The replaced starter could stay on his routine and could even pitch an inning in relief of Gee. Gee would be the only starter going every 6 days and every other starter would remain on his usual schedule. This would reduce the innings pitched and maybe they will have fresh arms for October baseball.
Metsense if the Met’s are out of the wild card race then what happens to the kids? Does Harvey get shut down? Will the Met’s call up Matz before they’re out of the wildcard race? That is if the front office deems he’s needed. The SP depth is being squandered away by the lack of a consistent offense. Another wasted season. Can Alderson at least do something for the present? No more excuses about building for the future.
Metssense, you make good sense. Given the surplus of pitchers and catchers and the obvious need for offense, I’ve got to think Alderson ia exploring options.
I don’t think you listened closely to the explanation or player reactions. They need to manage the innings of three pitchers: Harvey, deGrom and Thor. As TC explained to the pitchers (who all acknowledge their innings have to be managed) they can 1. Send each to the DL for 15 days; 2. Shut them down in Sept; or 3. Use a six man rotation through 2-3 turns. Once the players were presented with this choice, they all agreed that a temporary six man rotation was the best of 3 bad options, so this is a non issue and has all of the player buy in, except for vets like ages and Niese, who have to accommodate the young guns, but their preference is secondary to the overall team objective. Given the circumstances, this is by far and away the best option and the perfect time to trim the innings. If they can successfully manage over the next six weeks, they can put the issue to bed for the rest of the season and not face any Strausberg debacles. I bet the Nats wish they had done this a couple of years ago so they had Strausberg for stretch run and playoffs
Yep.
Niese and Gee are watching the world change before their eyes. They would never be happy to see this. But the fact is, neither of them figures in to the future, except under the “future is now” banner. At best both are depth. My only caveat is that they do provide some veteran perspective for a very young rotation and catcher — none of whom can say “Ive seen it all before”. Right now Colon serves that role, and clearly we hear again and again from the kids how much he is positively influencing them. Still if either can be moved Id be happy to make it happen. I doubt they get much in return, not because of their personal quality, but because the Mets are stacked on the bump and every GM knows it. No one will offer an Alderson-like return for what everyone sees as essentially rotation filler.
Do you think Harvey is going to be “happy” with this plan? Having pitched 16 scoreless innings and not have a win to show for it? Do you think he’s going to be more happier pitching 6 shutout innings and watch the bull pen implode? Gee’s at best a 5th starter so I don’t understand why the team is going out of its way to take care of him. Yes I did read the official explanation but Colon is not going to come back next season and you can still expect him to throw a stinker every 5th or 6th start. The All-Star break would of been a perfect opportunity to provide Harvey DeGrom and Thor with some rest. You could of substituted Gee in those starts within a 3 week time span as opposed to a stint on the DL.