Free Pedro

What a week for Mets fans. If the slow bleed from months of losses on the field doesn’t get you, then blunt trauma from management’s incompetence will.

Just think about this for a minute. The Mets VP of Player Development, Tony Bernazard, was fired this week because he launched into vicious tirades in the Citi Field stands during Mets games and then challenged the whole AA Binghamton Mets team to a shirtless brawl. And that wasn’t even the story of the week.
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It’s a great strategy for rounding out a rotation: sign low-priced veterans  and/or injury come-backs who might have something left. This is usually a low-risk move with high upside, and if you are the type of team that has the bankroll to take a flier on a guy or two like this every season, it can prove quite profitable (see Hernandez, 2009; Colon, 2008; Saberhagen, 1998 and 1999). One shouldn’t expect anything more than a backend of the rotation guy who can give you some innings and an ERA in the mid-fours. Something better is great, and anything worse  is fine because you didn’t spend a lot and your expectations should have been low. The only way this strategy burns a team is if they aren’t willing to pull the plug. It’s clear at this point that John Smoltz is done. Masterson is a better pitcher. There’s a pennant race going on.  Time to make the switch.