Your New York Sports Blog

Rotoworld:

Pedro Martinez (hamstring) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings Wednesday in his rehab start for Single-A St. Lucie.

Martinez fanned six and walked none while throwing 82 pitches. The strong performance should guarantee that he'll return Tuesday against the Giants. "I am really excited," Martinez said. "I would love to be there. I know the team really needs a little bit of a pat on the back, and I hope my presence will make a difference for them."

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Manager Willie Randolph announced that rhp Claudio Vargas will get his second start this time against the Braves. He will pitch game 2, John Maine game 1, and Big Mike Pelfrey game 3.

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It is that Mike Pelfrey will get the start on normal rest and pitch Thursday night against the Nationals, allowing Johan Santana get the start against the Yankees. It should be a good match-up and should show why the Mets got him.

Ian Kennedy will be called up to start for the Yankees Thursday night against the Rays.

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This is a new segment in which I will be comparing 2 players from any team. I will mostly be comparing New York players to other NY players and this is for all sports. Today's includes the two Met's pitchers fighting for the 5th spot in the rotation:



Orlando Hernandez "El Duque"
6'2 220 lbs.
10/11/1969(?)
10 years MLB experience


Pros:

• Experienced MLB starter
• Proven
• Consistent when healthy
  
• Playoff experience
• Big game pitcher

• Older (he is not really 38 years old)
• Injury prone
• Using a new wind up
• Has not pitched in a live game yet (in spring training)

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Marty Noble:

Like many young pitchers who seldom relied on changeups in their formative years, Pelfrey, 24, would open his glove wide when he reached in to grasp the ball deep in his right hand for the offspeed pitch -- and not do the same on other pitches. Dugout spies caught on to that in a New York minute. But worse, when Pelfrey initiated his delivery of a fastball, his tongue became visible.

Lol thats great. Just great. I like the way The Man at Mets Prospectus put it. Rick Peterson is someone who watches his pitchers like a hawk so how did he not see this? Opening your glove on a changeup is the biggest problem pitchers have so how did they not notice this? This is something a college player or even a little leaguer can pick up on. Oh well I guess that is what spring training is for, at least someone caught it, better late the never. Now this tongue situation is weird. This is mostly from a nervous habit that Pelfrey has so that might be hard to stop. It is something he has to work on a lot to get it to stop. We all have habits and we know we can't break them, but Pelfrey will need to because he is a pitcher who works of his fastball. Hopefully he fixes cause I want him to succeed. Pelfrey, Hughes, Chamberlian, and Kennedy all in New York at once would be amazing. That' 3 potential aces and one extremely solid middle of the rotation workhorse. Bright future ahead of us.

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per ESPN:

"Pedro Martinez, who's four-year, $53 million deal expires at the end of this season, told the New York Daily News on Tuesday that he will not initiate contract talks with the Mets until the season is over. However, he would be willing to talk if the team expressed interest. "If they approach me, that's fine. But I'm very content," Martinez said. "I'm very satisfied with the way they have treated me here. They have my respect regardless of whether they offer me (an extension) or not, or I have to go somewhere else." General manager Omar Minaya seems to be taking a wait-and-see approach to the situation, saying "Let's see how the year goes. As the year goes along we'll make an evaluation. It's only fair after he only pitched a month last year."

To me the Mets HAVE to re-sign Pedro for at least one more year. As of this moment the only players who could be part of the rotation next year are Johan Santana, John Maine, and Mike Pelfrey. El Duque, Oliver Perez, and Pedro are all free agents. Pedro is only 36 and should still have 2-4 more good years left in him. As we saw before the injury and at the end of last year Pedro does not have to throw 97 mph to get outs. He has shown he knows how to pitch and should come back to the Mets for 2 years at $8-1 1 million per.

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Per SI.com:
The Mets quietly sought trade offers for Orlando Hernandez late this winter, with the idea that if anyone bit, they would sign Lohse. But apparently there were no takers.

At the moment El Duque is literally hurting from head to toe. He recently revealed that he didn't actually have the bunion removed from his foot that impeded him last year, and that he is due for a root canal, as well. Beyond that, one of these days old age may finally catch up to Hernandez, who's listed as 41.

The Mets should just trade him for whatever they could get. If you ate about $4 million dollars someone would take him no matter what. We all know he is not 41 and more like 45/46, but he still knows how to pitch. If no one was even offering a 2 top 45 prospects then o well keep him the year so Pelfrey only has to pitch half the season in the majors.

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The New York Mets have signed 29-year-old pitcher Tony Armas Jr. to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. It is not a Johan Santana move, but it adds depth to the pitching staff. Outside of Pelfrey/Duque there really was not a starter to in case of an injury. After having a terrible year last year Armas is likely to end up pitching in New Orleans to start the season, but could contribute one or two starts throughout the year. I would have preferred Bartolo Colon or Freddy Garcia, but this is not that bad of a signing.

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