Mets sign Tony Armas Jr.

[NJMetfan4life]

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20080211&content_id=2370877&vkey=pr_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym

your thoughts?

[Dalkowski110]

Just another arm for AAA.

[Silver Blaze]

Just another arm for AAA.

We hope. He stunk it up for Pittsburgh, so I want no part of him wearing a Mets uniform any time during the season.

[Dalkowski110]

If I had to guess, you'll see Mike Pelfrey, Jason Vargas, Adam Bostick, and Nelson Figueroa before you see this guy.

[Rotoprofessor]

I like the signing myself. He's a better pitcher then someone like Jose Lima, who the Mets have used recently as a spot starter. Do I want to see him in the rotation full-time? Absolutely not. Still, he has shown potential and maybe they can get lucky and catch lightning in a bottle. Omar has shown the ability to find guys in the past, like Darren Oliver, who people thought were washed up. Maybe Armas fills the same type of role and is the long man out of the pen. Only time will tell.

You can never have enough capable arms, so even if he is just used in AAA, it's worth having him around.

[moebarguy]

I actually like the signing. Granted, Armas is no longer the same pitcher who was going to replace Pedro Martinez in the Expos rotation, but for a 30 year-old who can still throw in the low 90’s, he’s worth a flier. I also think he's better than our third-in-line replacement starters in the past (Jose Lima, Geremi Gonzalez, Brian Lawrence, etc...). But as Dalkowski said, it merely gives the Mets someone to eat innings at AAA.

Another interesting thing to look at his Armas’ stint as a reliever for the Pirates last season. Before you write him off by looking at his 5.06 ERA as a reliever, he also posted a 1.16 WHIP, a 2.02 Ctl (the league average is 3.3), and a 7.42 K/9 IP in 26.6 IP. I smell a Rick Peterson project…

[moebarguy]

Terrific site, Rotoprofessor. I love that you rate my roto league catchers, Soto and Salty, so high.

Maybe a little too high. I think Salty is the real deal, but Soto really just had an uncharacteristically power-filled season in 2007 (25 total HR from 2001 to 2006, yet hit 29 between Triple-A and MLB in 2007). Michael Barrett should be on that list somewhere and Mike Napoli should get a little more respect than being on the "just missed list" (he has a nice HR ceiling, and had an intriguingly high OBP despite a dismal BA in 2007)...

[Mex4Prez]

If added to the 40-man roster, Armas would get a one-year contract paying $1 million while in the majors and $90,000 in the minors. He also could make $350,000 in performance bonuses if used as a reliever and $650,000 based on innings, starting with 130.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Looks as if they want to take a long hard look at him for the long man spot. A lot of people seem to have given that to Sosa by default, but the team feels he is better suited only facing the lineup once, which would make him a 1-2 inning MR.

In my opinion it looks as if Armas may be the favorite to win the long man job as of right now. With Sosa and Wise leading the pack to fill out the last MR spot(Mota's old innings). It could turn out that they both make the team if Duaner isn't ready to go.

A lot is being made that our bullpen is our teams "weak spot". I don't see how this is true. The main reason our pen was bad last year is that the starters couldn't give innings and it wore out the pen early. So much that at different points during the season, Feliciano/Wagner/Schoe all had to be shut down for a week at a time draining the rest of the pen even more. If Sanchez is healthy and pitches like he did in 06 then we may have one of the best pens in baseball. Even if not, we are still above average(not bad for a teams weakest spot).

[whoisonit]

your thoughts?

I haven't been this excited since they signed Jose Lima.

[moebarguy]

The main reason our pen was bad last year is that the starters couldn't give innings and it wore out the pen early. So much that at different points during the season, Feliciano/Wagner/Schoe all had to be shut down for a week at a time draining the rest of the pen even more.

I would put Heilman in there instead of Schoeneweis. But yes, since Wagner, Feliciano, and Heilman were over used, the Mets were forced to put Mota and Schoenweis into situations they should not have been in -- with Mota, it was men on base, and with Schoeneweis, it was against righties.

[whoisonit]

the Mets were forced to put Mota and Schoenweis into situations they should not have been in -- with Mota, it was men on base

No, with Mota, it was as a roster member.

[moebarguy]

No, with Mota, it was as a roster member.

Yes, that too...

[Dalkowski110]

"In my opinion it looks as if Armas may be the favorite to win the long man job as of right now. With Sosa and Wise leading the pack to fill out the last MR spot(Mota's old innings). It could turn out that they both make the team if Duaner isn't ready to go."

Nope. Both Wise and Sosa are signed to Major League contracts. Therefore, they automatically both make the team regardless (with Wise taking the Mota role and Sosa being the favorite for long reliever), barring a horrendous ST for one or both of them. Also, unless Sanchez isn't ready to come back, he's automatically guaranteed a Major League contract, too. The bullpen at the beginning of next year will look something like this...

LRP Jorge Sosa
LOOGY/MRP Scott Schoeneweis
MRP Matt Wise
MRP Duaner Sanchez
MRP Pedro Feliciano
SU Aaron Heilman
CL Billy Wagner

[Mex4Prez]

Nope. Both Wise and Sosa are signed to Major League contracts. Therefore, they automatically both make the team regardless (with Wise taking the Mota role and Sosa being the favorite for long reliever), barring a horrendous ST for one or both of them. Also, unless Sanchez isn't ready to come back, he's automatically guaranteed a Major League contract, too. The bullpen at the beginning of next year will look something like this...

LRP Jorge Sosa
LOOGY/MRP Scott Schoeneweis
MRP Matt Wise
MRP Duaner Sanchez
MRP Pedro Feliciano
SU Aaron Heilman
CL Billy Wagner

Just for the record Tike Redman was traded for in 2005, didn't make the 2006 team and was released before opening day. Also Matt Wise has a clause written in his contract that states he only gets paid 750k if he gets released before opening day. That would make me think he is fighting for a job. He is far from automatic as you suggested.

[Dalkowski110]

"Just for the record Tike Redman was traded for in 2005, didn't make the 2006 team and was released before opening day."

Exactly. WE didn't sign Tike Redman to a Major League contract. He came with one. However, we signed Wise to an MLB contract on our own volition. Ditto to Sosa and Sanchez.

Unless Wise has a terrible ST, I'd consider him a veritable lock for the bullpen.