Calero, Niese, Figueroa and Mejia

The Mets signed Kiko Calero to a minor league contract, with $850 K if he makes the team and $650 K for performance bonuses. This is a great move by Omar Minaya and the Mets, and can shore up the back end of the rotation. Calero, 35, had a 2.39 tRA, 2.56 FIP, and a 3.92 xFIP. He also had a 1.95 ERA, which makes it interesting that no one else wanted to sign him.

Fernando Nieve pitched yesterday, and went 3 innings against the Cardinals, giving up 1 run while walking 2 and striking out 2. Nelson Figueroa, in the same game went 4 innings, striking out 5 and walking 1, though it was against a more weaker lineup as Pujols and Holliday were taken out.
Jon Niese went 2.2 innings, giving up a run, striking out 5, and walking 2, against the Marlins. Jenry Mejia went 2.1 innings, and striking out 4 and walking none. Despite Mejia's impressive beginning, he should stay in the minors this year, to keep his inning number down, and maybe can come up as a reliever later in the year a la Joba Chamberlain.

Meanwhile in the race for the number 5 starter, Fernando Nieve is going to make the team, as a long man or starter, because he's out of options. Figueroa should also make the team, as he's a solid pitcher who can start or relieve and had better peripheals last year than Nieve. And Jon Niese, who I would love to be the number 5 starter, will probably be in AAA, though will come up if one of the starters gets injured.

Did I Not Say Figgy was Pretty Good

If only he could've done this in 2007. Or 2008. Oh well, congrats to Nelson as he pitches the second complete game shut out of the season for the Mets. The other one was Pat Misch. That sums up the season.
Adieu, 2009.

The Case for Nelson Figueroa

After Nelson Figueroa's last start, a 7 inning effort where he gave up 2 runs, his ERA was at 4.88. His FIP was at 4.67, and his tRA was at 6.07. However, since Johan Santana's last star on August 20th, and his subsequent end of season surgery, Figueroa has had a 3.45 FIP, in 35 and a third innings. He has struck out 32, walked 13, and given up 3 homers (and a 4.08 ERA). Maybe it's too small of a sample size, but with reports this week about Tim Redding coming back next year, I think the Mets should make a cheaper move, and sign Figueroa. He would probably make the Major League minimum, and would definately be better than Redding, who this year has a 5.19 FIP and a 5.39 tRA. He has a 5.31 FIP since August 20th (again, small sample size).
So, I think Figueroa is better, and I hope Omar does too. He may be 35 years old, but he will make major league minimum, and is better than Redding. Make the right move, Omar.

It wouldn't of lasted; Lose 5-3

In yesterday's game, Nelson Figueroa struck out 8 Cubs (bringing his total to 18 against them), gave up 7 hits and 2 walks in the 6 innings, and got 14.95% swinging strikes. However, he also gave up 4 runs, both on 2 run homers. The Mets struck out 10 times against Rich Harden in 5 innings, and 13 times overall. Harden had a 22.5% swinging strikes. Cory Sullivan hit another home run (power surge!) and now has a .287/.368/.455. He has a wOBA (weighted On Base average, stat that gives a value to everything in runs, and divides by Plate appearances, it's on a On Base Percentage scale) of .366 (average is .325). Josh Thole went 2/4, so he's now batting .444/.444/.556 for a 1.000 OPS and a .463 wOBA. He also hasn't swung at a pitch outside the strike zone yet, showing great plate discipline. (Frenchy, take notes) Luis Castillo went 2/5, and is now batting .311, with more importantly, an OBP of .400, which is good for 11th in the National League and 16th in all of Major League Baseball. David Wright went 1/4 with a sac fly, but also struck out a hat trick of times. He now has 113 strikeouts, and is on pace for 137.
Stupid Decision of the Day: Well, the fact that the Mets left 10 on is not Jerry's fault.
Random Thought of the Day: Nick Evans only pinch hits. C'mon Jerry, play him. Please.
Clutch Play of the Game: Pagan single in 7th. +.121 WPA.
Up Next for the Mets:
Mets vs Cubs 1:10 PM ET
Mike Pelfrey (9-10 5.03 ERA 4.29 FIP 4.97 tRA)
Randy Wells (10-7 2.90 ERA 3.83 FIP 4.49 tRA)

Figgy! Win, 4-1

We have found the ace of the staff. Please step up, Nelson Figueroa. Figueroa went 7 innings, scattering 6 hits, walked 2 and struck out a career high 10. His only iffy inning was the first, where he walked Bradley, gave up a single to Lee, and then a run scoring single to Ramirez. But, he struck out the last 2 to get out of the jam (he struck out the side in the 1st). He had 12 swinging strikes out of 117 pitches for 10.2%. Swinging strike percentage has a linear relationship with strikeout rate, and can indicate future performance. The league average for pitchers is 7.8%.
Every Met starter had a hit (including Figgy, who went 1/3). The Mets scored 2 in the third when Pagan singled, Castillo singled, Murphy singled to score Pagan, and then Francoeur singled to score Castillo. In the fourth, the Mets scored 2 when Schneider singled, and then Anderson Hernandez tripled. Figueroa then helped out his own cause by singling in Hernandez, through a drawn in infield. Brian Stokes came on in the 8th, gave up a single, but then got Lee to hit into a double play, and got Ramirez to pop up. Nice comeback from Brian. Frankie Rodriguez came in, gave up a single, got a fielder's choice, runner went to second on a wild pitch, but then struck out Fontenot and got Soto to pop up to Hernandez for Rodriguez's 28th save. Not that that matters.
Stupid Decision of the Day: Jerry saying he's going to platoon Thole. Not smart. As proven on an earlier post.
Random Thought of the Day: Why does Jeremy Reed get to play, Jerry? Why not Evans? He's up anyway.
Clutch Play of the Game: Hernandez triple in the fourth. +.141 WPA.
Up Next for the Mets: Off day, then go to Colardo to face the Rockies on September 1.
Brian Schneider Line: .189/.272/.318. The Day before it was .188/.273/.319. So it went down.
Bryce Harper Sweepstakes™: Mets have the 9th pick, tied for 10th. 3.5 back (ahead) of the Padres for 5th.