Gorzelanny Would Fit Well

Arbitration time is a good way of luring a low budget team to trade away a player that they don’t want to pay out of pocket for and the Pittsburgh Pirates are a good enough target as any.

David Rubin has brought to my attention that Tom Gorzelanny is only one year away from is arbitration period and a perfect candidate to take a spot in the rotation if Orlando Hernandez makes his way to the bullpen, as I would love to see.

Gorzelanny is a good ground bal pitcher, unlike the rest of the Mets staff, and would be a good change of pace for the Mets and probably a great change of scenery for Gorzelanny.

Gorzelanny made his debut in 2006, replacing Oliver Perez in the rotation. He wound up going 2-5, with a 3.79 ERA. In 2007, he fared much better in the win/loss columns going 14-10 and had a 3.88 ERA.

This is just the pitcher the Mets would need to compliment their youth movement. With my last post included, the Mets could be set with four starters under the age of thirty and be set up for the future so they could focus on getting some position players for the 2009 season.

Blanton Would Be A Good Fit

With all the hype, last off season, of the Mets and the Athletics working out a deal to bring Rich Harden to Queens, there was a name sandwiched in the middle of all this babble.

Joe Blanton has proven himself to be a durable right handed pitcher that the Mets should definitely consider trade for.

With the departure of Tom Glavine, the Mets don’t have a pitcher who had pitched over two hundred innings in 2007 and they need to find one quick or the bullpen is going to go through the same metamorphosis that it went through in the second half of the season.

Blanton pitched two hundred and thirty innings this past season and held a 14-10 record with a 3.95 ERA. Switching from the American to the National League should lower his ERA to somewhere in the 3.50 range and would match up well with the Mets other young guns (John Maine and Oliver Perez) in making a young core of pitchers that the Mets can hold onto for years to come.

From the scouting reports, Joe Blanton has a low 90’s fastball, a 12 to 6 curve ball, a 10 to 4 slider and an effective changeup. During his stay in Oakland, Blanton’s curve ball has garnered comparison to Barry Zito’s. The only difference is that Blanton’s best pitch isn’t his curve.

Although Blanton’s future is a middle of the rotation kind of pitcher, he could have a promising career with the Mets and their pitcher friendly Shea Stadium and soon Citifield.

The Mets Need Rowand

There is no doubt in my mind that the one thing that one of the things that the Mets were lacking last year was heart and that is a crucial element that gets a team through the grueling one hundred and sixty two games of the regular season. So, the only logical thing to do is to go out and find that player that truly exemplifies that characteristic.

In 1995 the Mets had found such a player. One who would later be compared to Lenny Dykstra in the grit and heart department of his play, but sadly enough he opted to go to college. Not for him because College is an important part of anyone’s life, but rather for the Mets because in twelve years they would lose out on the 2007 Division title because of a lack of heart.

Aaron Rowand was a pivotal part in the White Sox championship in 2005 and was by far the loudest recipient of his Championship ring, even though he was traded during the off season for Jim Thome.

I’m sure we can all agree that the one instance that will stick out in Mets fans minds is the bases loaded fly ball, hit by Xavier Nady, which Rowand caught to win a rain shortened game. This was a pivotal part in showing that Rowand had no fear in the field, because he wound up running face first into the wall and broke his nose, lacerated his face and needed seven hours of surgery to fix him up.

Even being two years removed from the White Sox, he is still a fan favorite. This goes a long way to show that fans truly appreciate his kind of hustle, heart and hard nosed kind of play that can bring a championship to a city. For without Aaron Rowand’s leadership, I think that the White Sox wouldn’t have become the 2005 World Series Champions.

Rowand has been described as a kind of impatient hitter (2007 – 119 SO to 47 BB), but he also carries a lifetime .286 batting average and with the kind of on field attitude he exemplifies, he might be just what the Mets need.