Here is something I didn’t know aboaut Tom Glavine that should make Mets Maniacs happy (it is from the Elias Sports Bureau, posted by ESPN):
• Tom Glavine re-signed with the Mets on Friday. The Mets were 24-8 in games started by Glavine in 2006, the second-highest winning percentage for any major-league team in a particular pitcher’s starts. The top three (minimum: 20 starts): Johan Santana (Twins were 27-7, .794), Glavine (Mets were 24-8, .750), Kenny Rogers (Tigers were 24-9, .727).
Pretty snazzy stuff.
Just as importantly, it sets up the rotation’s number-two and three pitchers, for now, with Pedro Martinez due back mid-season (making him the potentially equivalent of a deadline-deal pickup).
Right now things go like this: Glavine, Orlando Hernandez and a selection of three from this group — John Maine, Oliver Perez, Brian Bannister, Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Aaron Heilmann. Perez and Heilmann are the wild cards here — Perez may have the biggest upside of anyone on the staff, if Rick Peterson can get him to throw strikes on a consistent basis, while Heilmann’s fate (I’d like to see him in the rotation) will depend on how they reconstruct the bullpen.
In any case, there is at least one, if not two other moves coming, from what I read, whith Barry Zito the big fish. If Zito can’t be reeled in, look for the team to make a trade — though any deal for the kind of guy they really need (Dontrelle Willis and the obvioulsy unavailable Roy Oswalt being the best fits, with Jake Peavey also high on the list) will probably cost them Lastings Milledge and/or Heilmann.
I’d like to keep both, personally, with Milledge splitting time with Shawn Green in a platoon and Endy Chavez getting significant at bats behind Moises Alou (Mets fans are going to like what this guy does with the bat; he is one of the bets hitters of the last decade and if he can stay in the lineup for 120 games he is going to be better protection for David Wright than Cliff Floyd was).
Prediction: Glavine will be the opening day pitcher, followed by Zito and Hernandez. Maine and Perez will follow and Heilmann will have to get used to the bullpen again — though I’d like to see them use Maine as trade bait (sell high, as they say) and find themselves a younger rightfielder. (Maybe Green can go in some sort of package, with the Mets picking up a chunck of his salary).
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Hank Kalet 