Make it or Break it: Johan Santana, No Worries…
Posted by halfmanhalfamazin on 8:00am, Friday September 25th 2009
It’s been 24 years since the Doc had that magical year on the mound in ‘85; 40 years since Seaver won an incredible 25 games in ‘69. People forget how long it’s been since the Mets had a true ace. Have we forgotten what kind of warriors these guys are? I know bone chips in your elbow (grimace) does not sound like a walk in the park, but the road to recovery for Johan Santana if you asked him is going to be a stroll. The last thing this team needs is to worry about it’s 6 year $135 mill arm, and they shouldn’t. Santana underwent successful surgery a few weeks ago and claims he’ll no question be ready for Spring Training next year. ..and there is no reason to doubt him. I know it was 5-6 years ago, but remember when Johan had similar problems back in ‘03 in Minnesota? His next year after virtually the same procedure: 20-6 2.61 ERA265 K’s and the first of 2 CY Youngs. The fact is Johan is a lock mentally and physically every start, every year. Sort of like the exact opposite of Oliver Perez.
There’s been all this talk about Johan needing a solid #2 to relieve him of some of the pressure. It’s not Johan that needs the #2, it’s the Mets as a team. He feeds off that pressure, which is what makes him so special. I was there in the 2nd to last game of the season last year when he threw that 1 hitter at home against the Marlins. That was a performance of a life time. We saw Santana gain a swagger in the last month or so right when things got interesting that 95% of the pitchers in the league do not get. ..and we’ll see it again. No worries.
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Potential money problems with the Mets notwithstanding, Johan is worth every single penny of his contract. He’s a true warrior.
I have no worries at all he comes back strong and ready to go for the 2010 season.
Here’s hoping they put together a winning team behind him. He deserves the opportunity to win 20 or near 20. If we can get some good offense and strong defense behind him, no reason he can’t be a potential 2010 CY contender.
LOL, here we go again. I wish I could comment over at Metsblog.
Today:
“i keep reading that Omar Minaya can only spend $15 million on new acquisitions… but, i am not 100 percent convinced of this…”
Maybe that is because YOU keep reporting that they can only spend 15M and you keep reading your site?
” i also sense the Mets are willing to eat dollars to move players who they feel occupy positions that can be upgraded”
BS, the Mets are not going to when strapped for cash eat cash to move Castillo when they have no replacement that is an upgrade. As for Perez, we are stuck with him. We would have to eat 12M to get rid of him. If that is the case, why get rid of him?
LOL, he is going to drive me insane today. Now this:
“i will not be surprised to see a TON of Zambrano-Cubs-Mets rumors this off season, because he’s a controversial, former-No.2 pitcher, and the Mets are in need of a No. 2 pitcher…”
Can you capitalize the “i” and then please explain to me how Zambrano is now a FORMER #2 pitcher? And if he is indeed a FORMER #2 then why would we be interested in him considering it would take tons of cash and decent prospects?
I won’t see ‘never’, but I just don’t see the Cubs trying to move Zambrano in the off season. I do think they’re going to do whatever it takes to move Bradley though…
Oh, and he certainly has some out there opinions lately, doesn’t he?
LOL! Why do you read his poorly written nonsense?
As former Net announcer Mark Jackson used to say, “You’re better than that!!”
At least it appears he did throw a bone to good writing, lineups with nine players, spelling like a grownup, and good sense in general by bagging Mike Nichols….
I still read it because I read about everything Mets related. What pops up on Sportsypder.
Yeah, I admit that I actually still read it occasionally too–don’t want to miss it if he links to me again! LOL!
I try to stay away from the comments though…
Those are the best parts. We have taken every sane poster away.
LOL! Yeah, for the most part!
TRDMB is truly like the “Greatest Hits” album of Metsblog posters.
MF4D, Wanny, Fong, Stick….even Cerrone must realize that the average IQ of his comments section has slipped to somewhere in the 80s at this point….
Yet, somehow Alex has survived his vetting process.
Yeah, those posts make no sense. I’ve never heard $15M thrown out there.
I especially like how every team is going to cut salary, including the Yankees.
Really? If that’s true, MC just broke the story of the year.
Cutting Castillo and Perez when you have so many other holes to fill is beyond dumb, I don’t see how anyone with brains could think this may actually happen.
Yeah, even trading Castillo plus 4M to make it a 2/8M contact still does not make sense unless we would get a good prospect back. It would only save us 2M this year and we would have no replacement for Castillo. As for Perez, it’s not like he can’t be a #5 and if he can’t then he will have to be released at some point. But why pay another 12 of it now, you can do that at the end of the year if you need to. Hell right now would anyone even trade for him at 2/12?
People, why still the Luis Castillo hate?
Why does everyone talk about his contract as if it were this humongous amount?
Castillo only makes $6M. He was prob the best player on the team, next to Wright, coming back from a very poor season.
If you are able to replace him:
1. how much will his replacement cost?, and
2. how much of Castillo’s contract will we be eating?
In other words, stop the hate!
Click on the link to see some really bad contracts:
http://major-league-baseball.suite101.com/article.cfm/bad_contracts
It was stil a bad idea to sign him to the deal originally (and not just in hindsight). Too many years, for a guy that was not good enough.
You are correct that it no longer is a terrible deal at 2/12. A tad high for a starting 2B, but not that out of range.
The problem really is that it is attached to Luis Castillo still. And don’t be blinded by his OBP, he is a 1 tool player (if OBP is even one of the tools, so maybe 1/2 a tool?) on a team that has too many other low-tool tools.
Weak defender at this point, and zippo power. ANd if I have to see him sacrifice again in the 1st inning, I may throw something at the TV.
trade him to the Cubs for a prospect and be done with it.
don’t worry. We’ll have a replacement within the next two years.
Hmmm, is someone impersonating you here Stick? Does much of this make sense? How long should we pillory Omar for this deal?
Castillo is an OK fielder, can still run, and OBP might not be a tool? Hmmmm, I would say getting on base is, to quote Jack Horner in Boogie Nights, “An important part of the process.” A guy with a .400 OBP who is pretty quick is not valuable?
As for the bunting, I would say that is 100% on Jerry the Joker.
We have holes in the rotation, at the setup man position in the pen, and in LF, and we also, depending on opinion, have holes at C and 1B. We don’t have a hole at 2B.
Leave Slappy be!
Any post with a Boogie Nights quote has to win a Quote of the Week award.
And you’re right, even Castillo bunts on his own, the Jerry the Jester has to tell him to stop.
Totally agree Case….Castillo is not that bad of a fielder, can still run, and his OBP is very valuable at any spot in any batting order.
The Castillo hate last year was tremendously overdone, and largely scapegoating, but the Castillo hate this year is simply asinine and ridiculous. He has been a fine player this year.
And as a VERY wise man says, Support Your Second Baseman in Queens!!
lol
I don’t know that anyone wants a number two pitcher because it has to do with relieving pressure from Johan. Johan has the pressure of winning when he pitches. He can’t control what happens when he doesn’t pitch.
The team needs a #2 pitcher because all good teams need a #2 pitcher. Someone has to pitch second and it would preferably be someone a heck of a lot better than the crap we have now.
Yeah, I was thinking the exact same thing…aside from the guy who wrote this post, I am not sure I have ever once seen someone say we need a number two to relieve Johan…we need a number two if we want to be good, as at this point, we may not even have a real number three without a rebound by Pelf.
I still think it goes back to the entire staff instead of just one or two.
Look back at 2006, 3.82, 4.48, 4.97, 4.48, 4.09. Who is the ace? Who is the #2?
2000: 3.14, 3.20, 4.01, 4.11, 5.06. Who is the ace? We have 2 #2’s.
1999: 4.23, 4.58, 4.40, 5.38. Who is the ace? LOL, who the hell is the #2?
The ordering and nomenclature is not the issue. By #2 people mean the Mets need to acquire a legitimately good and reliable pitcher or pitchers.
I don’t think anyone would stop the team from acquiring multiple good pitchers (although I have ben rebuked in preferring to spend money on the back end of the rotation than at 1B).
My point is that we can win without a #2 if you have 2 3’s or no 5’s. It’s really about the entire staff. As I ask earlier, would we be better off with Wolf and Marquis instead of just Lackey?
By the way before I duck for the return you can sub out either or both names and still the point applies.
Well sounds like we all agree then. I remember Gary Cohen posing the question this year on multiple occasions when Johan was struggling a little that maybe he could use an effective #2 to take some of the pressure off. He was suggesting it may be weighing on him mentally a little. Just wanted to bring up the issue to stir debate. Think we all agree a #1 is a #1 for a reason.