The Mets need one more quality starting pitcher if they want to usurp the Braves in the NL East. What they have now is good, but the 1-2-3 punch of Leiter(17-6, 2.47)/ Reed(16-11, 3.48)/Jones(9-9, 4.05) is no Maddux(18-9, 2.22)/Glavine(20-6, 2.47)/ Smoltz(17-3, 2.90). But then who is?
The latest rumors say GM Steve Phillips is very interested in trading for a starting pitcher. Until Roger Clemens(20-6, 2.65) removed himself from the trading block last week, the Mets were interested in bringing the Rocket to New York. The Phillies' Curt Schilling(15-14, 3.25) has said that he would not turn down a trade to a contending club. Phillips has allegedly spoken with the Arizona Diamondbacks about their young lefthander Omar Daal(8-12, 2.88), and probably LHP Brian Anderson(12-13, 4.33) and RHP Andy Benes(14-13, 3.97). (The Diamondbacks now have a surplus of starting pitching with the signings of Randy Johnson, Armando Reynoso, and Todd Stottlemyre.) The Reds may be willing to part with newly-acquired Denny Neagle(16-11, 3.55) for the right price. Jeff Juden's(8-14, 5.80) name has even been kicked around in trade rumors.
How do the Mets remedy this situation? I say make a trade happen for either Daal or Neagle. Both are solid left-handed starters who could fill the three or four spot in the rotation, give 25-30 starts and contribute 12-15 wins.
Al Leiter, the ace of the staff, had a career year for the Mets in 1998 and, if healthy, should turn in a repeat performance in 1999. Getting better with age, Leiter has improved in each of his past four seasons, but one has to wonder how many years he has left in his 33-year old arm. With a 4-year, $32 million deal and a tough New York crowd, the pressure is squarely on Al Leiter's shoulders to perform in 1999.
Rick Reed, the Mets #2 starter, has turned in two consecutive solid seasons of 16 and 13 wins. Reed, also 33, practically came out of nowhere to land a job as a Mets starter after years of journeyman duties and even crossing the picket lines as a replacement player. He will need to turn in another consistent year for the Mets to take the East.
After a nearly invincible 1st half of 1997, Bobby Jones, the Mets' #3 man, has settled into mediocrity. Jones, who will be 29 by opening day, finished the first half of the '97 campaign with a record of 12-5 and earned a spot on the National League All-Star Team, but hasn't been the same since, compiling a record of 12-13. As a $3 million dollar .500 starter, Jones may be packaged in a deal for an ace starting pitcher this winter.
The #4 spot in the rotation belongs to Japanese Professional League-defect Masato Yoshii. Yoshii gave the Mets 29 starts in '98, but managed to win only 6 of them, contributing 171.2 innings pitched, and posting a 3.93 ERA. The Mets apparently liked what they saw, however, as Yoshii was inked to a 2-year, $5 million deal. He will have to contribute more wins to the Mets staff in '99, as he enters his second major league season. Yoshii is also 33.
The fifth spot in the Mets rotation is currently up for grabs. Barring a trade, the incumbent Hideo Nomo will most likely compete for the job with young Mets pitching prospects, which may include the highly-touted, oft-injured pair of Jason Isingringhausen and Paul Wilson, both 26-years old by opening day. The 30-year old Nomo is coming off an extremely dissapointing '98 (6-12, 4.92) and because he earns $2.8 million a season he is quite expendable. Neither Wilson nor Isringhausen pitched for the Mets in '98, so it's difficult to gauge their chances of cracking the starting rotation; and judging by their career major league performances (Wilson: 5-12, 5.38; Isringhausen: 15-16, 4.08 with neither seeing big-league action since 1996) , I'd give the nod to Nomo.
The Mets are quite capable of winning the wild card spot with their current rotation. But if they want to take their 1999 season further they need another quality starter, lest they suffer from Cleveland Indians Disease (all-hit, no-pitch).
The good news is: GM Steve Phillips is commited to winning and is seeking out that elusive fifth starter.
The bad news is: as of Christmas 1998 he hasn't found
him yet.
