We’re 12 days into the New Year and already the winter has been too long. For a fan base starved for Met news, any little bit that comes out between now and February 12 is a blessing. Minor league signings? Bring ‘em on! Non-roster spring training invites? Tell us more! Any news not involving Tim Tebow? Hallelujah! Contract agreements avoiding arbitration? Well, we got one of those yesterday. Zack Wheeler and the Mets agreed to a one-year, $800,000 contract, thus avoiding the gavel once again.
Wheeler’s new deal represents a $300,000 raise from last year – the second consecutive year in which Wheeler did not pick up a baseball. On a side note, if your intrepid columnist ever got a $300,000 raise, that would bring his annual salary to slightly over $300,000. But I digress. After two seasons of rehab-only activity, one can’t help but wonder what his 2017 season will look like. It would be foolhardy to expect him to just resume his development where he left it off. His arm and his stamina will have to be hawk-like monitored and his use will have to be judicious. There’s been talk of him starting the year in the bullpen, an idea that doesn’t particularly sit well with more than a few fans. Heck, we all still remember the Yankee career of Joba Chamberlain, don’t we? Chamberlain was such a prized prospect in that organization, he became subject to the “Joba Rules” to try and preserve his arm. As a result, this minor-league-career-long starter began his MLB action in the bullpen…then was made a starter again…then went back to the bullpen, where he remained. After his 2007 debut and 10 years down the line, he now finds himself out of baseball, having been released by Cleveland back in July. And guess what? He still had arm trouble, missing major league play from June, 2011 until August 2012. The jostling back and forth between roles couldn’t have helped. A similar path could emerge for Wheeler and that would be a shame. Another thought out there has been to make Wheeler the proverbial “five-inning starter,” basically piggy-backing his outings with a Robert Gsellman or Seth Lugo coming out of the ‘pen to get to the real ‘pen. This is an intriguing idea and one that could work until Wheeler gets his arm and stamina back up to big game level.
In any case, if he’s healthy down the stretch, he can be a major, major contributor in this team’s quest for a third straight post-season berth – something unprecedented in these parts. With the tenuous health of the rest of the Mets’ starting staff, getting a fit Wheeler back would be an incredible boost at a crucial time.
Let’s try to avoid the “Wheeler Rules,” shall we?
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I’m a Wheeler believer but here is me thought on a plan for him:
Start in Port St. Lucie where he can stay in the warm weather against easier competition to get him used to facing live batters again. There, the Mets will need to decide if he’s being stretched out for rotation work or to be used, at least for 2017, as a reliever.
If he succeeds in Port St. Lucie he moves up to Binghamton where he can adjust to more temperate weather and face improved hitting. Wheeler does not need to pitch for Las Vegas. He can go from Binghamton to the majors, it’s all a matter of making sure he’s healthy.
I would say that Wheeler will be under a strict innings limit of 100 with similar caveat’s to Matt Harvey in the Met’s most recent World Series run.
It’ll be interesting and exciting to have him pitch again.
How many innings has he pitched the last two seasons? Seems like maybe he shouldn’t be counted on. Start him out in the BP. If he pitches two innings successfully for a while let him try out as starter if there is an opening. 5 inning starters while not vey valuable do have value.
A $300,000 raise to a guy who hasn’t played in two years. What a system.
I’m excited to see what he’s got. Always reminded me of John Smoltz so maybe that will bode well for a bullpen role.
Originally I was in David’s camp but now I’m in Scott’s. That is assuming he proves capable of facing major leaguers in Spring Training. He’s got to display major league velocity and some semblance of major league control.
If you squint real hard, you can almost imagine Wheeler eventually developing into an Andrew Miller-type reliever, one who could come on at any hi leverage point and pitch multiple innings.
Wheeler may or may not be the guy but at some point we’re going to see teams revert back to having guys who are exclusively relievers throw 100 innings. Four guys who did not start a game last year threw 80 innings. In the 1970s, there were 100 reliever seasons where a guy did not start a game and threw at least 100 innings.
Like 1972 Tug McGraw, who threw 106 IP in 54 games.
Sandy’s milking of the Giants by getting their #1 for an aging old outfielder with bad knees.
I think it’s premature to have any plans for Wheeler, until we see where he is at on a mound. I’d be shocked if he had 100 innings.
Its my fervent hope the surgery corrected everything and he can pitch pain free for the first time in ages.
Coming off traumatic injury, two seasons off, and a surgery that was more complicated that standard TJ surgeries, I’d put him on the Jim Henderson plan.
My hope is that he’ll slowly develop health, confidence, sharpness, bounce-back-ability.
That is, my “plan” would be to do everything possible to slowly build him up, bring him back. The usage would be regular, with regular rest. Very cautious. Then depending upon how he performs and feels, I’d “hope” to use him more in the second half of the season.
I believe there’s a great pitcher in there, and potentially a difference-maker in the bullpen, but I don’t believe that erratic use would be to anyone’s benefit until he establishes full health.
Note: Last season Familia, Robles, and Reed all pitched exactly 77.2 IP. I don’t imagine Wheeler having that durability as a reliever this coming season. At least, it wouldn’t be my plan. I would not push this guy until September, October.
My hope, fingers crossed, is that Gsellman can do the job in the 5-spot.
If only the Mets had put Jim Henderson on the Jim Henderson plan, maybe they would have had something. He had 12 appearances in April, one shy of the most of any pitcher on the team.
But I agree that the way they should have handled Henderson is the way they should handle Wheeler.
Trade him the second he demonstrates health. I don’t see him being an effective SP in the next 3 years, and relievers are a dime a dozen. Let someone else play the high risk medium reward game.
What is the High Risk? He’s making peanuts, and he has mid rotation stuff and better.
If he can be healthy all year, he’s all upside and Gravy…no risk.
Wheeler needs a stint in the BP to prove it all again. Why run him out there in the cold April, early May months and try to get 6-7 innings out of that arm that has not pitched in 2 years ? Dumb that would be Sandy, super dumb. Pitchers are usually ahead of the hitters in April. He can come out once in a while to help the starters and perhaps be the 7th inning guy, see how that goes.
Anything more, we will see the first casualty on the DL from this stable of pitchers in 2017. Note to Mets:
Sign Blevins and Salas and let’s go ! If there are no takers for Bruce, let him play and hit some HR’s. He is in a contract year and should be motivated as it is.
If he fails, he gets dumped for a tuna sandwich and chips at the July deadline and Conforto is a full timer. Right now, exactly what has Conforto earned ? Check the career stats, baby. Bruce is a true major leaguer with HR power, and a good arm with many assists from RF. Let him play till he “cannot” play…
I sort of agree with Metphin. If we could sign Salas and Blevins and go to Spring Training with Bruce (assuming no satisfactory deal emerges), then we’d be good-to-go.
I would trade Bruce to the Yomiuri Giants. I would sign John Franco out of retirement and Wheeler, let’s just see what he has got. He may be a pleasant surprise. But, let him pitch in the minors for a couple of mmonths months.
Let’s go Mets.