Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Sunday was my birthday...
...and all I got was Ricky Bottalico.
Okay, that's not really true. And I don't know why it wouldn't let me put that all on one line. Could it be in all this time I've never tried to post a title as long as that? But anyway, the Mets have signed up Botallico to a minor league deal and are close to signing James Baldwin as well. There isn't much reason to expect either of these guys to even outperform, say, Jaime Cerda this year, but neither of them costs much in the way of cash or space on the forty man roster, so there's no real reason to be upset by these moves either. And with the pack of veterans already guaranteed spots in the Mets' bullpen this year, these two will have to do something right, or at least look like they have, to make it to Shea Stadium in April.
Bottalico last bested the league average in ERA in 2000 and 2001, and before that in 1997. Last year with the Diamondbacks he faced ten batters, struck out two of them, walked two more, and gave up a run on three hits for a 5.40 ERA. Baldwin spent most of his career as a below-average starter for the White Sox, topping 100 in ERA+ just twice (in 1996 and 2000). But last year he found himself in the Minnesota bullpen, where he pitched 15 innings, striking out seven, walking four and giving up six home runs. Baldwin's K/9 and K/BB rates were never too impressive and aside from half a season with the Dodgers in 2001, he hasn't come too close to matching the moderate highs he reached in the mid-'90s.
I don't expect to have occasion to say much else about either of these guys this season. ¶ joe | 2:20 AM |
...and all I got was Ricky Bottalico.
Okay, that's not really true. And I don't know why it wouldn't let me put that all on one line. Could it be in all this time I've never tried to post a title as long as that? But anyway, the Mets have signed up Botallico to a minor league deal and are close to signing James Baldwin as well. There isn't much reason to expect either of these guys to even outperform, say, Jaime Cerda this year, but neither of them costs much in the way of cash or space on the forty man roster, so there's no real reason to be upset by these moves either. And with the pack of veterans already guaranteed spots in the Mets' bullpen this year, these two will have to do something right, or at least look like they have, to make it to Shea Stadium in April.
Bottalico last bested the league average in ERA in 2000 and 2001, and before that in 1997. Last year with the Diamondbacks he faced ten batters, struck out two of them, walked two more, and gave up a run on three hits for a 5.40 ERA. Baldwin spent most of his career as a below-average starter for the White Sox, topping 100 in ERA+ just twice (in 1996 and 2000). But last year he found himself in the Minnesota bullpen, where he pitched 15 innings, striking out seven, walking four and giving up six home runs. Baldwin's K/9 and K/BB rates were never too impressive and aside from half a season with the Dodgers in 2001, he hasn't come too close to matching the moderate highs he reached in the mid-'90s.
I don't expect to have occasion to say much else about either of these guys this season. ¶ joe | 2:20 AM |
