5th starter or extra bench player?

[AutographCollector]

Which would be better?
Having El Duque or Mike Pelfrey as the 5th starter or sticking with 4 starters and having an extra bench player?

[metfan13]

They like the idea of Pedro getting extra rest, so it looks like they'll go with 5 starters from the beginning.

[AutographCollector]

They like the idea of Pedro getting extra rest, so it looks like they'll go with 5 starters from the beginning.

That must be new info, because when I watched the Mets and Nats play over the weekend Darling was talking about it.
So it is official? They are going with a 5 man rotation?

[metfan13]

That must be new info, because when I watched the Mets and Nats play over the weekend Darling was talking about it.
So it is official? They are going with a 5 man rotation?

After the way El Duque and Pelfrey pitched maybe they'll have seocnd thoughts.

[metfan13]

That must be new info, because when I watched the Mets and Nats play over the weekend Darling was talking about it.
So it is official? They are going with a 5 man rotation?

It's mentioned in this article from today's NY Daily News:


http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/ba...t_el_duqu.html

[Brooklyn]

Which would be better?
Having El Duque or Mike Pelfrey as the 5th starter or sticking with 4 starters and having an extra bench player?

I'm assuming you mean at the beginning of the season only? They'll need 5 for the bulk of the year.

I'd like to see them skip the 5th starter the first two times through, then get on the normal schedule. I'd probalby prefer an extra reliever to bench player. If they give Maine the second start instead of Pedro, then Pedro will get the extra rest and the home opener.

Here is what I'm thinking:

Monday, 3/31: Santana
Tuesday, 4/1: Maine
Wednesday, 4/2: Pedro
Thursday, off
Friday, 4/4: Perez
Saturday, 4/5: Santana (normal rest)
Sunday, 4/6: Maine (normal rest)
Monday, off
Tuesday, 4/8: Pedro (extra rest, home opener)
Wedesnday, 4/9: Perez (normal rest)
Thursday, 4/10: Santana (normal rest)
Friday, 4/11: Maine (normal rest)
Saturday, 4/12: El Duque
Sunday, 4/13: Pedro (normal rest)
normal rotation from there. With Monday the 14th being another off day, Pedro will get the extra day again.

[stejay]

I would go with El Duque as the 5th starter, personally.

[AutographCollector]

I'm assuming you mean at the beginning of the season only?

Yes, I meant once Opening Day hits.

[freshprince85]

Well, I don't want Pelfrey to start. But El Duque shouldn't start, too.
We should let some one else start 5th. But just go with 4 is impossible because of Martinez.

[Dalkowski110]

Okay, I have a bit of insider info on what went wrong with Pelfrey that day where he gave up 13 hits in 4.1 innings. Pelfrey CANNOT pitch out of the bullpen effectively to save his life. For two reasons. First, he takes too long to really warm up. Second, and most importantly, while he can get the velocity on his two-seamer (that being his out pitch), he can't get that sink on it. Worse, he can't get much movement on his slurve, either. That gives his a relief repertoire of almost flat four-seamer, flat two-seamer, flat slurve, and developing changeup.

BTW, in case *neither* Pelfrey nor El Duque make it, then Nelson Figueroa is our fifth starter.

[metssincekindergarten]

BTW, in case *neither* Pelfrey nor El Duque make it, then Nelson Figueroa is our fifth starter.

From what I've seen of Figueroa, I'm alright with that.

[NJMetfan4life]

I like Brooklyn's idea. I'd like Pedro or Maine to have the home opener, prefrebly Pedro though.

[moebarguy]

Any chance the Mets bring Claudio Vargas in?

[Dalkowski110]

Actually...there are a couple teams interested in him, the Mets are among the front-runners. When your number five starter either is older than dirt (El Duque), untested and a bit of a gamble (Pelfrey), or flat out hasn't pitched Major League baseball in five years (Figgy), then even Omar Minaya realizes you have to start looking at external options (Patterson was looked at, FWIW, but apparently rumor has it his arm is totally shot).