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That is of course the other reason these players shouldn't complain about the fact that not many big long-term contracts are being doled out now when many times would like to maybe save a little bit for a superior class that comes up next year. The Yankees obsession with getting below the luxury tax for this year is precisely geared toward making it easier to making a run at this class next year.
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Posted: |
Mar 24, 2018 - 7:55 PM
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By: |
ANZALDIMAN
(Member)
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All over baseball the spring training injury lists are alarming going into opening day.
I just spoke about Greg Bird a few posts up. I hope to see him have a productive career, but he already has had a history of nagging injuries and setbacks. And now this latest one. This is frustrating news if you are a Yankees fan. It seems as though it's always something with Bird in his young career that keeps him on the shelf. He's certainly head and shoulders above Nick Johnson in natural talent. But he has to stay healthy for an extended period of time to prove it.
The Mets just recently lost veteran free agent pitcher Jason Vargas to an injury on his non pitching hand due to a comebacker during spring training. Vargas will probably miss at least two starts at the opening of the season. And that's being optimistic. So instead of having Vargas, an 18 game winner with the Royals from last season at the back end of the rotation the Mets will probably have to rely on Seth Lugo sliding into that spot until Vargas is cleared to return.
As I posted earlier, Zack Wheeler was fighting for a spot in the rotation and had he pitched well in spring training he would have been penciled in automatically to take the Vargas spot. But Wheeler has struggled during camp and was bombed big time in his last start of spring training against the Nationals. Wheeler will now start the season in the minor leagues. Lugo has pitched well enough, so the spot is now his. Wheeler just makes me shake my head. He's a good kid, and he's frustrated after years of injuries and other setbacks. The signing of Vargas was supposed to push him to work harder. And push him it did. Right out of a possible starting job in the Mets rotation to a demotion to the minors.
The tools have always been there, he just can never seem to get out of his own way. A continuous history of high pitch counts in the early innings, a lack of consistency, and an inability to finish off hitters continues to haunt him. At this point in his career time is not on his side. It's been a very long time now since the Mets traded Carlos Beltran to the San Francisco Giants get this once promising young pitching "phenom". I can only hope that he can finally get it together at some point in the minors and eventually contribute to the big club. For his sake, and for the depth of the Mets rotation.
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