Nobody thought that Mark Teixeira would be a Yankee until it happened. Could Brian Cashman's next stealth signing be Oliver Perez? I certainly hope not, but Kevin Kernan makes the case that the Yankees are better off with Perez than with Andy Pettitte.
Kernan's recommendation of Perez to the Yanks comes alongside his recommendation that the Mets ante up for Derek Lowe. Unfortunately, we know how this situation is likely to play out. The Mets will be outbid for Lowe (worst-case scenario - the Phillies) while the Yankees will swoop in and take the only other good free-agent starter on the market.
I am probably in the minority of Met fans in that I want Perez as much or more than Lowe. Perez is 27, a lefty, has shown he can pitch well in New York and has enormous upside. And these were exactly the reasons I figured the Yankees would jump on him once Perez became a free agent.
So far, though, nobody has shown much interest in Perez. Presumably, teams are waiting for Boras to lower the price. And maybe, just like with Teixeira, the first time the Yankees will publicly show interest is when they announce they have signed Perez.
Ollie's career record against the Yankees:
Starts: 6
Innings: 41.1
W-L: 5-1
ERA: 2.61
Batting average against: .199
WHIP: 1.11
Derek Lowe has also shown he can pitch in big games in big markets, and he's had a chance to pitch in bigger games than Ollie has. And while there's a Good Ollie and a Bad Ollie, there's no such split with Lowe (just the occasional Derek Lowe face). If I had to choose between Lowe or Perez in a big game, I would have to go with Lowe.
But as long as we are talking upside, I think Perez is worth the same sort of offer the Mets have given Lowe. Neither may be enough for a Boras client, but the Mets should at least try.
And even if Ollie has had mixed results, check out his record against the Phillies in their championship year of 2008:
Starts: 4
Innings: 26
W-L: 1-0
ERA: 0.35
Batting average against: .181
WHIP: 1.08
Pretty good for the guy nobody seems to want.
Here's my biggest nightmare: The Phillies (or Braves) sign Lowe. Then, when attention turns to Perez, the Yankees swoop in. Desperate to make a splash, Omar Minaya signs the pitcher the Yankees didn't want - Andy Pettitte. And the Mets find out why the Yankees didn't want him.
Do you want Oliver Perez back on the Mets? Tell us what you think.
I say keep Ollie. It'd be a whole lot easier for Minaya if Perez's performances were somewhere in the middle of the spectrum instead of being at complete ends. Unfortunately he is what he is, and he's either brilliant or awful at any moment. But I say the Mets should keep him based his performances when it mattered the most, perfect example being his performances in the '06 NLCS. And as Jon pointed out, he keeps our biggest rivals at bay. He's proven he could pitch in NY. No sense bringing in someone who might not be able to handle the pressure as well.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Oliver Perez is anything special, but the Mets could and probably will do worse. They should resign him no matter if they get Lowe or not.
ReplyDeletei am not in favor of ollie returning. he is way too inconsistent from start to start. he has pitched well in big games, but he has been terrible in too many other games. lowe is much more reliable, as is garland and even wolf.
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CAPSLOCK=DISAQBILITY ACCOMODATION
ReplyDeleteREALITY CHECK, CITING PHILLIES & BRAVES AS COMPETITORS IN BIDDING FORB LOWE IS BAITING BY BORAS WITH LITTLE FACTUAL,HISTORICAL FOUNDATION. NEITHER OF THESE TEAMS ARE LIKELY COMPETITORS IN A BIDDING WAR REQUIRING 16M PER TO PLAY. #1) PHILLY ALREADY BELIEVES WE'RE CATCHABLE, AS OUR TRACK RECORD INDICATES & ALREADY BLEW THEIR UPGRADE SHOT IN IBANEZ. THEY ALREADY BELIEVE THEY CAUGHT US TWICE WITH A TOP CLOER, WAGNER, ON ROSTER AND DO NOT CALCULATE K-ROD/PUTZ AS UPGRADES OVER REPLACEMENTS. ATLASNTA DOESN'T PLAY IN FREE AGENCY LET ALONE WITH COUNT BORAS SUCKING THEM DRY. THE MOST REALISTIC COMPETITOR I SEE FOR LOWE IS THE BRECFREW & IF I WERE OMAR, I'D WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE OTHER THAN BORAS INDICATES A HIGHER BID THAN 12.25M PER.
The Mets signing Pettitte? I think the Yankees do want him and the deal will be worked out this week. But then I've been wrong many times before.
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