Health: Burgos makes Rehab Start
By Matthew Cerrone - Aug 6, 2008 2:08 pm

Mets RHP Ambiorix Burgos pitched to nine batters and allowed three hits and two runs while striking out four in two innings during his first minor-league rehab game for the GCL Mets in St. Lucie.

The Mets acquired Burgos in a trade with the Royals during 2006 for Brian Bannister, who is 7–10 with a 5.37 ERA this season.

In 17 appearances for the Mets in 2007, Burgos was 1–0 with a 3.42 ERA, during which he struck out 19 batters in 23 innings while batters hit just .200 against him.

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89 Comments »

Comment by starz31
2008-08-06 14:12:12

Sweet…we could use another pitcher to blow leads for us.

Comment by helicopter ben johnson
2008-08-06 14:54:16

2 runs in 3 innings? yep he’d fit right in here

Comment by helicopter ben johnson
2008-08-06 14:54:46

whoops 2 runs in 2 innnings, even better…

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Comment by rM teM
2008-08-06 15:32:22

Unless he gets back on the juice, he’ll be no help.

 
 
Comment by ravi3
2008-08-06 15:59:32

Well considering that this is the first time he has faced live hitting in roughly a year, you should probably give him just a little slack

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Comment by Chan Ho Parking Lot
2008-08-06 14:14:51

So there is still a chance for this trade to turn out in favor of the Mets after all.

Comment by yagottabelieve
2008-08-06 14:24:59

I’ve been a huge supporter of this trade all along, even when Bannister was having his Jae Seo season last year. Anytime you can trade an unproven finesse pitcher with fringe stuff for a power pitcher with the potential to dominate, you have to do it. If you hated the Owens/Lindstrom/Bell trades (as I did), you have to respect it when the team does the opposite

 
 
Comment by therealsince86
2008-08-06 14:15:25

It already has. We have not had to see Bannister pitch anymore.

Comment by CaseStreet
2008-08-06 14:18:08

Didn’t Burgos have all his jewelry stolen at ST or was that Sosa?

Comment by Chan Ho Parking Lot
2008-08-06 14:20:10

That was Burgos. It was found.

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Comment by grotesmask
2008-08-06 14:16:58

What’s the latest on CHurch?????

Comment by DK
2008-08-06 14:18:56

Ask Tatis he is raising money to build it …

Comment by starz31
2008-08-06 14:32:15

haha yes!

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Comment by MealTicket
2008-08-06 14:18:52

As I’ve said before, Burgos is young (younger than Joe Smith, for example.) His upside is great. Bannister is what he is, a so-so starter whose best days may well be behind him.

Comment by dwright012
2008-08-06 14:48:29

he’s younger by a month.. for all arguements sake they’re the same age

Comment by MealTicket
2008-08-06 14:58:17

Sure. Point taken. Then he’s also the same age, roughly, as Robert Parnell, another prospect coming up through the ranks. And I can’t imagine anyone saying–as they did, repeatedly, about Burgos–that Parnell is worthless and a failure, based on what he’d done at age 22, 23 and 24.

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Comment by mikepelfreyismyguy
2008-08-06 15:32:50

listen, mealticket, your clueless, arent you, bobby parnell is going to be a 3 starter or a dominant set up man, brian bannister and burgos are LIKE THE SAME AGE DAMN IT, and third, WOW FINESSE OVER POWER, your saying that your saying greg maddux, tom glavine, jamie moyer, and now mike mussina all suck, i dont think so. in the minors, he thought of as having the control of maddux. and get this, in his last three starts, 7 innings each, allowing 9 runs, and this is the royals, a team with a bad offense and record, if he was with the mets, there wouldnt be a problem, but i do think that burgos will be a great power arm, he can blow people, which is funny.

 
Comment by therealsince86
2008-08-06 15:36:54

Before you start raising your voice again, exactly how are Burgos and Bannister the same age?
Burgos is 24 and Bannister is 27.

 
Comment by MealTicket
2008-08-06 15:47:45

Whoa there, MikePelfreyismyguy. Deep breath, son.

I was making a point about age and age alone. That some were too quick to dismiss Burgos, even though he was (and is) young.

Never said anything about finesse vs. power pitching. And as therealsince86 points out, you might want to check you facts BEFORE typing..

 
Comment by mikepelfreyismyguy
2008-08-06 16:01:56

oh, i was gonna say joe smith, my bad. apologies.

but yeah, i get what you are trying to say. you are stating the advantages of the trade, so ok. but i mean yeah, burgos, if healthy, could be a welcome addition

 
 
 
 
Comment by mex84
2008-08-06 14:23:19

Did he have “Tommy John” surgery?

Comment by starz31
2008-08-06 14:33:17

yes he did.

 
 
Comment by ToastyJoe
2008-08-06 14:23:39

The Amburglar Returns!

Comment by bigchart333
2008-08-06 14:36:07

oof, thats a powerful pun…

 
Comment by davenappy
2008-08-06 14:39:06

LMAO!!!! That’s a good one dude.

Comment by ToastyJoe
2008-08-06 16:16:57

Yeah, that won the nickname contest for him over at my blog last season. Then he got hurt and I forgot all about it (or him).

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Comment by TheBigStapler
2008-08-06 14:55:44

Oh… oh yes.

 
 
Comment by gowrightgo
2008-08-06 14:25:20

Bannister had a big year last year and Burgos, was actually sent down last year to improve his game in the minors then he got hurt.

Last year it was a complete homerun for the Royals. This year, Bannister is reverting to the number 5 pitcher he actually is and Burgos is recovering from tommy john surgery…so it seems like we may have the edge possibly returning since Burgos still has fire in that arm.

If Burgos becomes a servicable 7th or 8th inning reliever for the next few years after he gets back, and Bannister remains the number 5 type pitcher he appears to be…the trade will be even.

Only if burgos becomes the top set up man or future closer does it make the trade favor the mets.

Comment by CaseStreet
2008-08-06 14:32:10

nice job

 
Comment by Gasface77
2008-08-06 15:07:41

I completely disagree. Generally, I will take the average 7th or 8th inning guy over the average 5th starter every day. How many games have we lost this year because of our “5th starter?” How many games have we lost because of our “7th or 8th inning guy?”

Everything else even, I take the late inning relief pitcher over the 5th starter.

 
 
Comment by bigchart333
2008-08-06 14:38:03

im so happy to see that people aren’t blinded by this trade anymore. Someone said it above, you have to make this trade every time, a finesse fringe starter for a young fire baller.

lets not forget we traded from strength to add to weakness that year..

I still think that Burgos is going to wind up setting up for Eddie Kunz come 2010, and it’s going to be a VERY dominant tandem for years to come

Comment by mouserdz
2008-08-06 14:42:00

I too am surprised. When I opened up the comments section, I was expecting a lot ‘who cares about this bum’ comments. Although I’m sure a lot has to do with Bannister’s recent struggles.

Comment by starz31
2008-08-06 14:45:31

no question. The true fans of this deal will support it while Bannister is thriving and Burgos is struggling.

Right now, it is very easy to be pro Burgos on this one.

But for real, this was a good trade. No matter if Burgos doesn’t pitch another inning. The potential for this deal to be successful outweighed what we would have gained by keeping Bannister.

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Comment by therealsince86
2008-08-06 16:02:06

Agreed and said so at the time. You don’t turn down the chance to get a guy who throws triple digits for a #5-6 starter.

 
 
 
 
Comment by therealsince86
2008-08-06 14:39:09

What we a