With Tuesday’s announcement that Mike Pelfrey has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with elbow swelling, or as ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin reported — a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, the Mets are now preparing for the possibility that Big Pelf could miss the remainder of the 2012 season.
Not only does the loss of Pelfrey hurt the Mets’ already thin starting pitching depth, but the injury also comes after the former first-round draft pick had dazzled both San Francisco and Philadelphia in his last two starts.
Pelfrey, who rebounded from a tough Spring Training to come back with a 2.29 ERA this season, was being counted on to be an innings eater who could provide a backbone in the Mets rotation.
Moving forward, the Mets could be on the lookout for a cheap option to replace Pelfrey in the rotation for the remainder of the season and beyond.
One intriguing pitcher who could be of the Mets’ interest is actually currently wearing pinstripes across town — Freddy Garcia.
Sure, Garcia is off to a rough start so far this season, giving up 13 runs in the 12 innings he pitched, and is now boasting a lofty 9.75 ERA, but his strong spring allowed him to crack a very crowded
Yankee’s rotation.
The Yankees have Phil Hughes and Andy Petitte currently waiting in the wings to step up and take a prominent rotation spot, and Garcia figures to be the most expendable option when Petitte is ready to be called up from AAA.
Garcia, who the Mets had previously signed to a minor league deal in 2009, had a solid season for the Yankees in 2011. The pitcher won 12 games and raked in a respectable 3.62 ERA, which would instantly give him a spot in the Mets now-depleted rotation.
Of course, the Yanks might not be willing to trade Garcia now that young hurler Michael Pineda is likely to miss the remainder of this season. However, being bumped from the rotation is sure to make anyone irate, which could cause some rumblings in the clubhouse and eventually force the Yankees hand.
The Yankees and Mets are always wary about deals with one another. In the magnifying glass nature of New York media, if one end of the deal works out better for one team, the ensuing media circus is enough to deter the teams from working with one another.
That being said, they have traded with one another before (remember Armando Benitez in pinstripes?), so the idea is not totally out of the question.
If the Mets are serious about trying to continue their competitive start to this season, they would be wise to explore an outside of the box acquisition such as Garcia.