Ken Davidoff of Newsday says Oliver Perez is in Arizona at the Athletes Performance Institute, “and he’ll receive visitors this winter in Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen and trainer Ray Ramirez.”
According to MLB.com, “The Athletes Performance Institute is a high-tech fitness boot camp for professionals,” with 
a focus on nutrition, metabolic testing, cardiovascular work, drills and media training.
In recent years, the Institute has done work with Curt Schilling, Justin Morneau, Carl Crawford, Kevin Youklis and Dustin Pedroia, among others.
…i like when i hear stories about players like ollie making this type of additional effort in the off-season… of course, i’m always skeptical… but, last off season, i read and heard a lot about how hard Luis Castillo had been working, at the team’s facility in the Dominican Republic, and, sure enough, he played in 142 games and hit .302… i would love to see a similar turn-around for perez, who obviously has the talent to be a tremendous pitcher… he just has no idea how to harness it… whether that is because of physical or mental instability, i have no idea, but hopefully the Athletes Performance Institute can figure it out…
Perez was 3–4 with a 6.82 ERA in just 14 starts in 2009.
He will earn $12 million each of the next two seasons, after which he will again be eligible for free agency.
By the way, Davidoff also provides quotes from Cardinals GM John Mozeliak about Matt Holliday; Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos on Roy Halladay; and Padres GM Jed Hoyer on Adrian Gonzalez; which you can read here.
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Lets keep this one simple. Ollie needs to go. They always talk about how good he should or could be and he never delivers. They need to find a taker for his contract and move on cause us Mets fans are tired of “What if’s” or “Maybe’s”!!
I’m as frustrated as the next Mets fan about Ollie’s act…it’s tired and old. But that is a lot of money for another team to assume.
Give Ollie an opportunity to straighten things out and if he has a solid year try and move him next year. Maybe Neise or another farm hand(arm) could step into the rotation in 2011.
With one year left on the deal and a good year under his belt, the Mets might be able to get something back.
Ollie needs to go.
I don’t necessarily disagree…but where and for what?
And unless there is a surplus of arms on the Mets roster…he has to stay.
At least he is trying. Maybe he is finally realizing that natural talent alone just doesn’t cut it anymore. You need the brain to go with it. If he can contribute he can be a difference maker but only time will tell.
Ollie is 28. He’ll be 30 when his current contract expires. Somewhere inside his peanut brain, he has to realize that he’s gotta straighten up and fly right if he wants to pitch in the majors after 30.
Maybe they could give him some Adderall and assign him to a shrink.
I hear what you guys are saying about giving the guy a shot but thats what we have been doing since he came to the Mets. Omar and the Wilpons are still high on the 2 week stretch that he was good back in 07. I know he has a lot of talent and I know that if we move him and he finally gets good, all Mets fans will kick themselves in the but, but he still has to go. I know thats easier said than done cause of his contract and the Mets should not make a move if it means eating his contract unless that move is bringing back something really good.
If they have to eat his contract than they should just keep him and try to build up his value before trading him but he is a lefty who throws in the mid 90’s which is something that just about every team wishes they had on their team.
Honestly, Ollie is one of the lesser problems the Mets have right now. It would be far easier for them to bring on a couple more solid pitchers and see what shakes out during ST rather than just “eating his contract”.
It’s not as if Ollie is sitting back and watching TV this offseason. It sounds as if he’s trying to improve. So let’s just give him the benefit of the doubt and see what happens during ST. Lord knows the Mets have other, larger problems to worry about right now.
If Ollie continues to stink, the Mets could try to move him before the trade deadline or just “eat his contract’ (which is easier said than done).
An excellent idea – provided that this Institute has a Psych Ward:)
Thanks Omar for saddling us with this albatross of a contract. Unless he goes to 15-17 game winner, this contract will kill us. Either we will have to eat it or trade him and eat salary.
Thanks for the Castillo contract. That has worked out so well.
I just heard we won’t again go after solid players like Holliday or Bay and may go after out old buddy Pat Burrell. I mean really. REALLY?
Enjoy a half empty Citi Field.
Hey man – we both were on the same level with our use of the word “albatross”.
Where did you hear that?
When you consider the 100 million dollar albatross of a contract that the mid-market Blue Jays have with the recently-wrist-repaired Vernon Wells, Ollie Perez’s contract looks like nothing in comparison and Omar’s contract is certainly chump change.
Oh please. Two good weeks in 2007?
Two good weeks in 2007 somehow netted
15-10 with 3.56 era. Two good weeks? .
So you say ship him out on one hand, but “he is a lefty who throws in the mid 90’s which is something that just about every team wishes they had on their team.”
Lefty that throws in the mid-90″s. You don’t suppose that the 2009 loss of mid 90’s fastball had anything to do with an injured knee on his landing leg?
A healthy Oliver Perez will have bounce back season. His velocity is key and I expect that to return ,as well as solid, but imperfect starting pitcher.
Ollie’s had flashes, has talent, 2009 was injury. The inconsistency (coupled with Manuel’s mismanagement of the bullpen) is a downside, but it’s rare for a person/player to get less mature as he gets older. He’s working hard. He’s got talent and every little bit he learns to harness that is a huge +.
Now, is Wathen helping? I don’t think so, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be good.
Ollie is not as bad as everyone is going on about, he’s fine for the fourth or fifth spot in the rotation and if he’s working hard, gets his velocity up, and attempts to put his head on straight we could have a really solid starting rotation provided we get that elusive number 2 (Doc Halladay anybody?)
just the fact that i want the mets to get halladay and keep the prospects makes me realize what a lousy situation we are in…we cant do both…i am leaning toward staying with the young guys…i am still amazed how phila got lee WITHOUT giving up their top youngsters…we are definitely doing something wrong…
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