Mets Finally Sign Perez

[love_that_reefer]

That's the problem I have, the potential. He has had seven seasons to reach this supposed potential and hasn't found it yet. How long are you going to give this guy? In those seven seasons he has produced a 4.39 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP. He is one of the most inconsistent pitchers we have come across and he gets $12 million a year? Please!! Its a risk because he won't live up to the contract. Perez walked 105 batters last year. Does that constitute a $6 million raise? **** no it doesn't. The potential tag has got to be taken away from this veteran pitcher who is nothing but average.

[Slyder]

Plus only the Yanks can waste more money and still have a shot at it regardless of what Perez does or doesnt. Bad deal especially considering the market. Why did the mets never even bother to give Heilman a chance to start? Wasnt he a starter in the minors and save you about 9-10 mil?

[ljshorty89]

That's the problem I have, the potential. He has had seven seasons to reach this supposed potential and hasn't found it yet. How long are you going to give this guy? In those seven seasons he has produced a 4.39 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP. He is one of the most inconsistent pitchers we have come across and he gets $12 million a year? Please!! Its a risk because he won't live up to the contract. Perez walked 105 batters last year. Does that constitute a $6 million raise? **** no it doesn't. The potential tag has got to be taken away from this veteran pitcher who is nothing but average.

Through his first 7 seasons, Randy Johnson had very similar numbers. Perez has a better K/BB, and a similar K/9 in the first 7 seasons, and Johnson was better in HR/9. He's only 27, give him time. He may never be an ace, but he can be a very very good SP.

Plus only the Yanks can waste more money and still have a shot at it regardless of what Perez does or doesnt. Bad deal especially considering the market. Why did the mets never even bother to give Heilman a chance to start? Wasnt he a starter in the minors and save you about 9-10 mil?

Heilman was a starter in college, may have started in the minors, but only had 2-3 pitches, and one of those 3 was very very bad. He had been moved to the pen, had more success than he ever did starting, and they had no reason to think that he would be able to adjust back to starting. He was not even a very good reliever his last year and a half, so why would he be any better trying to pitch MORE innings?

[love_that_reefer]

Randy Johnson had a far better first seven seasons that Perez and its not even close. Johnson had a 3.70 ERA while Perez is 4.39. Johnson had two top 3 CY finishes to Perez's zero. Johnson pitched over 200 innings four times to Perez's zero. Perez is a veteran pitcher now. He might get better but this potential tag has got to go.

[ljshorty89]

Player Thru Age IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 K/BB
Oliver Perez 26 999.1 9.2 4.8 1.31 1.95
Randy Johnson 28 818.0 9.0 5.7 0.77 1.58

These are the stats I read earlier, I mistakenly thought they used an equal number of seasons. They did not. However, check the K/9, BB/9, and K/BB numbers. Perez is BETTER than Johnson. Don't give up on him yet.

[love_that_reefer]

We all know Perez can strike guys out. We also know he walks a ton of batters and gives up a lot of runs. That's the problem and that's what separates Randy from Oliver. Johnson didn't give up the runs and had an overall better start to his career. More innings and less runs. Its not really a fair or good comparison. Perez is incredibly inconsistent and you don't know which Perez youo are getting. He has also had arm trouble in the past. These are all things to consider when seeing $12 million is too much.

[ljshorty89]

When has Perez had arm trouble? He certainly hasn't had arm trouble in the last few years. Johnson was inconsistent too in the first few seasons of his career, so I think it's a decent comparison, especially since both have great sliders, even if RJ had a harder fastball. I know you don't like the deal, but in the market, it's not really bad.

[love_that_reefer]

Perez had arm problems in '06 and was moved to the bullpen. I even think he got demoted but not 100% on that.

Johnson had just one season with an ERA over 4 in his first seven seasons. He wasn't inconsistent. He had high walk rates but he prevented runs which separates him from Perez. And again, two top three CY finishes separates them greatly.

In this market, its even worse.

[ljshorty89]

Pretty sure he didn't. He may have been demoted in 06, but he was traded to the Mets in July, so the odds of him being hurt early enough in the season, and being healthy enough to come over and pitch right away are small.

Also, in Johnson's first 5 years, he had ERA+'s of 148*, 82, 108, 103, 105. The 148 was in only 26 IP.

In Perez's first 7 years, he's been 107, 73, 145, 72, 67, 120, 100. Not spectacular, not even "good" per se, but in his 2 full seasons as a Met, he's been no worse than par. Seems like he's finally on his way up, as he hasn't struggled as much as he did with the Pirates.

[love_that_reefer]

Yeah Perez was sent down by both the Pirates and Mets.

You left out Johnson's last two years since you wanted to compare their first seven seasons.

Perez in his first two seasons had ERAs of 3.54 and 4.22. The WHIP's are awful and is still inconsistent. And "par" pitchers shouldn't be getting $12 million/yr.