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Even though Dillon Gee was relegated to the bullpen and manager Terry Collins nixed the idea of the six-man rotation going forward, don’t be fooled. As top prospect Steven Matz continues to dominate Triple-A, his arrival in the big leagues becomes more and more immanent. However, unless the New York Mets are able to trade Jon Niese or Dillon Gee, it’s likely they’ll have to return to six starters in order to accommodate everyone.
None of the Mets’ pitchers were happy being part of the six-man rotation: it diluted the pitching and gave pitchers too much rest. If there’s a week in which the Mets have an off-day, a pitcher is resting for a full week between starts, and as evident in some of their performances this year, that was actually a bad thing for Mets pitchers. So the Mets got rid of the six-man rotation after only one go-around. It seemed like a good way to limit the young pitchers’ innings, but it turned out to be impractical. And now it appears that the Mets may again be forced to use six starters.
With Las Vegas, Matz is 6-4 with a 1.94 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 75 strikeouts in 74.1 innings. He’s only made 11 starts at that level, but in a hitter’s paradise it’s hard to expect anything more from Matz, which forces the Mets’ hand. He’s clearly ready to pitch in the MLB but the Mets’ pitching depth is causing a logjam. Interestingly enough, by promoting a young pitcher the Mets will have the best chance to preserve a few of their young arms — which is, again, the primary motive behind the six-man rotation.
Obviously, all of the Mets’ problems can be solved if they can trade away Niese and/or Gee. The issue here is that neither has been pitching very well this season, diminishing their value. Then there’s the fact that the Mets are starved of hitting, and everyone knows it. It will be tough to convince another team that either pitcher will be worth the bat they want. And the only way to get more value from Niese or Gee is to let them pitch so that they might show improvements. Do you see how difficult achieving all of this at one time will be?
Regardless, the rumor is that Matz will be with the Mets prior to the All-Star break. If the goal is to win games, then the best players must be playing. Matz has proven he deserves a chance to show he is one of those players. And while it may not be the popular move among Mets fans but by giving Matz a chance to pitch in the majors, they’re giving themselves the opportunity to see if he — or any other young pitcher (by allowing Matz to replace him) — can be traded. Obviously they’ll bring in a better player than Niese or Gee, and with the Mets competing for first place in the East, every advantage they can get will matter.
So the Mets’ pitching depth is a blessing and a curse. Fortunately I’m not the man in charge of deciding everyone’s fates, but at least one thing is for certain: we will be seeing Matz sooner rather than later. And good luck to GM Sandy Alderson who has to find a way to make room for everyone.
Matt Turner is a New York Mets Writer for www.RantSports.com. “Like” him on Facebook, follow him on Twitter @MTurnerNY, or add him to your network on LinkedIn or Google.
