Opinion: Heilman’s Future
Since August 14th, Aaron Heilman has pitched eight innings of relief and has allowed only one earned run on six hits. On August 26th, he threw three innings of shutout relief in a 13 inning loss to the Phillies.
Despite his recent success, I feel that some players have to do more than others to gain the respect of the fans. I look at how Scott Schoeneweis was booed on Opening Day without even throwing a pitch, and feel that the same negative stigma has befallen Aaron Heilman whether it is justified or not.
In the roulette game that is the bullpen, I hope Heilman can remain effective because this is after all a team sport, and I root for the name on the front of the jersey. However, if all things remain equal, the Mets should explore trading Heilman when the season is through for a couple of reasons.
First, I think that some players just need a fresh start to maximize their potential. If body language is any indication of happiness, then Heilman is unhappy in Queens. This is all speculation, and I never saw him throw at Notre Dame, but when I watch him pitch I feel his anxiety. One could say the same about when John Maine throws, but where Maine comes across as confident in his intensity, Heilman looks like he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Second, the Mets may not be able to get as much value as they once could for the righty, but with pitching being in need nearly everywhere, the Mets still have a chance to bundle him with say Luis Castillo as noted earlier on Metsblog, and get something good in return. They could even market him as a potential starting pitcher.
Again, I wish Heilman the best and truly want him to succeed. If he remained a Met in 2009, I wouldn’t be disappointed. But sometimes players, a la Ryan Church, just need a fresh start.
