News: Owens Suspended

November 12, 2008 at 8:28 am · 20 comments

by Regis Courtemanche

Marlins LHP Henry Owens has been suspended 50 games by MLB after testing positive for a banned substance.

Owens and Matt Lindstrom were traded from the Mets to the Marlins for Jason Vargas and Adam Bostick after the 2006 season.

Owens missed all of 2008 following rotator cuff surgery.

His suspension will be effective at the start of next season.

{ 20 comments }

iluvbuckner November 12, 2008 at 8:40 am

That trade just never panned out for either team…except Lindstrom.

iamatwork November 12, 2008 at 8:42 am

I’m pretty sur eit panned out for the Marlins a lot more than the Mets.

therealsince86 November 12, 2008 at 9:03 am

Too early to tell. Owens we all knew was an injury waiting to happen. Lindstrom did not have a spot in that year’s pen and was 28 years old.

Vargas and Bostick are both left handed and still are young. Many LHSP do not get going right away. Maybe one of them works out, maybe not but not a big deal. Exactly the type of trade I want Omar to make. You guys always want to get younger but make a big deal when we do. If you get younger then it takes longer to equal the talent you gave up.

stickguy November 12, 2008 at 9:06 am

options or service time issues too. I think Owens and Lindstrom both had to make the big club or they would have been released. So Omar did a decent job flipping them for a couple of younger LHSPs that cold stay in the minors for a few years.

I recall at the time there was generally a positive vibe on the deal. And it did make sense.

iamatwork November 12, 2008 at 10:05 am

Vargas missed all of 2008 with an injury.

Nate W. November 12, 2008 at 10:08 am

right on stick, the two Mets rightys were out of options and the Marlins could use them in the bigs.

I’m hopeful a healthy Jason Vargas could be a useful guy this year. Now both Vargas and Bostick are out of options and the Mets could be losing both.

btw, the Marlins outrighted Owens off thier 40 man roster so he is basically a minor league free agent. Good luck Henry.

PedroMANIA November 12, 2008 at 2:09 pm

I’m not so sure Vargas is out of options. He was hurt in ST and was never optioned I believe; he just stayed on the big league 60 day DL the entire year. So we lose a year of service time but gain an option year.

iluvbuckner November 12, 2008 at 1:28 pm

r
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work?

ravi3 November 12, 2008 at 8:45 am

Give Vargas a chance..He is a few years younger than the 28 yr old Lindstrom. Yes, Jason missed last season due to injury, and he didn’t impress during his age 23 season, but how many players do? He is pitching well in hitter friendly AFL, so lets at least give him a shot before drawing conclusions

stickguy November 12, 2008 at 9:03 am

Yeah, a 24 YO lefty that has shown flashes of potential in the majors at a real young age does still have a future. It would be a huge bonus for the Mets if he is healthy, and carries over the AFl perfromance into the spring. Him filling the 5 hole wold be a huge, huge plus for the team. Neise can work on his stuff in AAA for another year, and be ready to come up when needed. Or trade bait fo course at the deadline!

Anyway, Parnell sounds like he could give you the same output as Lindstron. Aren’t they pretty much the same (stoke too for that matter?) Big FB, weaker on the other pitches, not always the best control?

It took lindstrom until he was 28 to accomplish anything.

ravi3 November 12, 2008 at 9:22 am

The kid was rushed up in a similar manner to Pelf. If the team didn’t give Mike a chance, where would they be now?

Cactus November 12, 2008 at 1:54 pm

Same place. Except all of those awful Pelfrey losses would have been in AAA where he belonged instead of costing the Mets wins.

therealsince86 November 12, 2008 at 9:00 am

I think we should trade Vargas. Maybe even for a guy who is a 24 year old LHP who was rushed to the majors at age 22 and went 5-5 for a bad team with a 4.00 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP in his first season. Sounds like a good project to me. But, Omar never does something like that.

alex242 November 12, 2008 at 9:36 am

don’t trade vargas yet.. give him time. he will be good guys.. he’s young and wild.. i can come up with 20 left handed guys who were wild this young then develop to be really good.

Nate W. November 12, 2008 at 1:33 pm

The problem is you have to do this on the big league level because he is out of options. 5th starter or long man is ok if he earns it in ST.

The way he is pitching in the AFL some lesser team will want him, so exploring trades is a good idea, imo.

Cactus November 12, 2008 at 1:55 pm

I get it. Except the next year he had more walks than strikeouts and a 7.33 ERA.

Cactus November 12, 2008 at 1:57 pm

Not to mention, he Mets gave up two guys who throw 100 MPH for this project. Then went and traded Bannister for another flamethrower.

its hard to be a met fan November 12, 2008 at 9:15 am

Well Bostick was removed from the 40 man roster, so who knows with him… hopefully Vargas can contribute

Cactus November 12, 2008 at 2:00 pm

Anyway, even though people are using this to defend the awful trade of Lindstrom/Owens for Vargas/Bostick, you always hate to see a guy trying to come back from injury and seeing his big league future slipping away feeling like his only resort is to cheat with HGH or whatever else to heal more quickly.

sherlockcollector November 12, 2008 at 3:10 pm

Owens is a righty, not a lefty

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