PHILADELPHIA -- The Mets are to miss two of the Phillies' starting pitchers this weekend -- the one who characterized them as "choke artists" in December, Cole Hamels, and the one who was sent on a Minor League sabbatical last season and returned to make a significant contribution to Philadelphia's push to a Word Series championship, Brett Myers.
Hamels almost certainty will serve as motivation for New York at some date this season. Even though he's not pitching, Myers may do the same this afternoon when the Mets and Phillies play the second game of their series. Perhaps he will be the motivation that will prompt some improvement in Oliver Perez.
It is conceivable, though not likely, that New York will ask Perez to accept demotion to the Minor Leagues if his performance in his fifth start is similar to his performances in three of his first four. It's an option the Mets may consider if only because Perez has one Minor League option remaining. Perez already knows his place in the rotation is in jeopardy. His 9.31 ERA says as much, and his manager has indicated another poor performance would make him think about a change.
A longer step in the same direction would be to demote the 27-year-old pitcher, who has perplexed the Mets almost since the day the club signed him to a three-year, $36 million contract in February. As a player with five years service, he would have to approve the demotion, as Myers did last season when the Phillies thought pitching regularly in the Minor Leagues would benefit him. The move is not without precedent for New York. Steve Trachsel accepted the assignment in 2001 after the Mets asked him to step down.
New York has few alternatives in the situation; i.e., it has almost no candidates to start in Perez's place. Three of the Spring Training candidates for the rotation are not in position to serve as Perez's understudy. Tim Redding hasn't completed his rehab from shoulder weakness, Freddy Garcia has been released and Jon Niese has pitched merely 16 innings in four starts with Triple-A Buffalo. Niese is 0-2 with a 8.44 ERA.
But at the same time, the club can't afford to have Perez find a solution for his problems as a starter in the big leagues if poor pitching continues. So the Mets must hope Perez will execute the same kind of reversal he pulled off last season after Dan Warthen replaced Rick Peterson as pitching coach. Then, he produced 13 consecutive starts of at least six innings. He won merely four of them, but the Mets won 10. And the bullpen wasn't so stressed.
"I'm looking at this Philadelphia outing as a big outing for him," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said Monday. "I'm hoping to find something."
Perez has worked with Warthen and Johan Santana since then. The objective is for him to "finish his pitches," which is to complete his follow-through. But his problem Sunday when he was battered by the Nationals -- nine hits and seven runs allowed in 4 1/3 innings -- was lack of command and a troubling lack of velocity. Another performance without command, velocity or success could prompt the Mets to complete a follow-through of their own and at least remove Perez from the rotation and perhaps seek to have him removed from the roster.
Pitching matchup
NYM: LHP Oliver Perez (1-2, 9.31 ERA)
When Perez was removed from his most recent start Sunday against the Nationals, the opposing pitcher was due to bat in the fifth inning with two runners on base and the Mets trailing by five runs. What else need be said? This: For the third time in four starts, Perez was removed without completing the fifth, and for the third time in his four starts, the Mets lost. Now he is to oppose the Phillies in Citizens Bank Park. Perez started four games against the them last season, producing a 0.35 ERA (in 26 innings), but merely one victory. The Mets won three of the games. Chase Utley (3-for-16) and Ryan Howard (2-for-22 with 14 strikeouts) have produced a .132 batting average in 38 combined career at-bats against Perez.
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