Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Are the Mets minor leagues that bad? Yup.

The Mets bullpen is a mess. We all know it. It's an undeniable fact that they flat out stink.

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much available on the waiver wire for the Mets to acquire another arm. That means the Mets must look internally if they want to solve this problem. Too bad they don't have anyone in their farm system either.

Looking at the rosters of New Orleans and Binghamton, I can name only a handful of players that should even be a possibility for the Mets. Everyone else flat out stinks.

Let's take a look at the few players I feel the Mets could promote to help them right now:

Eddie Camancho: Camancho has seen time in Binghamton and New Orleans this year. The 25 year old has posted a 5-3 record in 45 games, with a 2.55 combined ERA (2.48 at AA, 3.00 at AAA). In 70 2-3 innings, he's surrendered 57 hits and struck out 47. In his last 10 games, he's allowed three earned runs in nine innings.

Nelson Figueroa: A guy we've seen before and know that is semi-capable of pitching in the big leagues. As a starter Figueroa is 4-4 with a 4.41 ERA. He's put together five "decent" starts in a row and could work for a few innings out of the bullpen.

Ivan Maldonado: The reliever has appeared in 39 games for the Zephyrs, compiling a 3-4 record and a 3.86 ERA. In 56 innings, he's struck out 53 batters. He's much better against lefties, posting a .266 average against, compared to a .304 average against righties. He gives up hits, but he's also capable of throwing two innings.

Nate Field: Field showed flashes of brilliance during spring training, and was a possibility for the bullpen for a few days. He's on a hot streak right now, allowing only one earned run in his last 11 innings. He's posted a 4.68 ERA overall, and has also closed out 13 games for the Zephyrs, the most on the team.

Take your pick. No one is lights out, no one is overly dominant. It would be somewhat of a game to promote any of them, but right now, I don't think it could get much worse.

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