Daily Archives: November 17, 2009
Adam Rubin of the Daily News believes the Mets are particularly intrigued by free-agent RHP Joel Pineiro.
The 31–year-old Pineiro was 15–12 with a 3.49 ERA in 32 starts last season, including 214 innings, during which he walked just 27 batters and struck out 105.
According to Fan Graphs, his 2009 season was worth $21 million, though he earned $7 million.
Last week on SNY’s Mets Hot Stove, SI.com’s Jon Heyman said, ‘The Mets really like Pineiro,’ though he was not sure the team would be willing to commit three-years and $30 million to sign him.
SNY’s Mets Hot Stove will air again, live, this Thursday at 7:00 pm.
According to Rubin, “Pineiro’s walks-per-nine-innings rate (1.14) was the best in the majors in four years among pitchers who reached 200 innings.”
…i asked a person close to the Cardinals why he was so effective last season, compared to other years, and, in addition to being under the tutelage of Dave Duncan, he said, pineiro learned to focus on the hitter and trust his fastball, which he had complete command of all season long, especially keeping it down in the strikezone, which may be why he let up fewer home runs and got twice as many ground balls from batters than the season before…
…he pitched very well last season, no doubt… he clearly made adjustments and learned to do things to make himself successful and i don’t think that will change… so, i think it’s fair to safely see him as a pitcher good for a complete game or two, an ERA around 4.00, and a guy who is likely to deliver a quality start more times than not…
…however, my two biggest concerns are a) whether he can be successful and focus without duncan, and b) will he remain healthy, at 31 years old… he missed time last season with a back injury; he missed time the season before with a groin injury, as well as with pain in his throwing shoulder, which was an issue for him earlier in his career; he hurt his ankle in 2007; and he strained his elbow a few years before that… and, i still feel like, whomever the Mets plug in to the rotation, it must be the closest thing they can find to a sure-thing…
For more on Pineiro, including other statistics, check out Rubin’s report, here.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports believes the Braves are among eight teams interested in Billy Wagner.
According to Rosenthal, the agent for Wagner, Bean Stringfellow, says, “Teams that called are aware that he’s a Type A free agent, and they’re calling anyway.”
Meanwhile, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com says that while the Phillies have bigger fish to fry than finding a replacement for Eric Bruntlett, it’s important because they have very little depth behind Jimmy Rollins. Zolecki says the Phillies are looking at John McDonald, Omar Vizquel, Jamey Carroll, Ronnie Belliard and Juan Uribe as possible replacements.
Finally, According to Bill Ladson of MLB.com, Scott Olsen, who tore the labrum in his throwing shoulder, says his arm is 100 percent.
Olsen appeared in just 11 games and went just 2-4 with a 6.03 ERA for the Nationals in 2009 after being traded from the Marlins along with Josh Willingham last winter.
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