Right on cue…
It only makes sense for the Yankees to discuss Perez – they need pitching, and are probably discussing just about everyone who’s available – but I also sincerely doubt it’ll go any farther than casual discussion, given how miserable his last few years have been, and that his velocity is way down on top of everything else (and he never was a control guy). Of course even if they did it would be a relatively low-risk major-league minimum signing… but… [shudder]. Presumably Cashman’s lack of enthusiasm is on account of his functional human brain. But I’m confident this won’t come close to happening, so let’s all shake off that mental image and try to feel warm again.
I was at Shea for the Village Voice during the 2006 playoffs and I remember being so impressed by how well Perez and John Maine handled being abruptly thrust into the high pressure spotlight of the playoff rotation. Perez started two games in the NLCS, and ended up giving up 6 runs over 11 2-3 innings with seven Ks and one walk – not spectacular, but solid under the circumstances. For a little while there it really seemed like Omar Minaya had stolen him from Pittsburgh. Anyway, I have no strong sense of Perez’s personality; he’s been villified unfairly because of the contract and his poor performance, but that’s baseball, and then maybe a bit fairly for his refusal to help the Mets by agreeing to a minor league assignment last season. But regardless it must be very hard for men like him and Maine to have so much potential fail to develop, whether because of health or simply the ever-shifting difficulty of the game. And yes, I bet $12 million a year takes the edge off, but there’s no way it’s not still painful.
Having now expressed the requisite empathy, I’ll just reiterate that this man should not be allowed within 200 feet of the Yankees.
He'll be a Yankee by May.
I have less than zero faith in the front office that repeatedly signed Sidney Ponson to avoid this one.
Ollie would be good as the #5 starter for the Royals or Pirates -- only cost them league minimum and they aren't going to win those starts anyway.
I think its overly generous to even give him that much credit. I don't think Ollie can go five innings any more.
Sign him, give him a month or two at Scranton to see what the deal is with his mechanics and or velocity. If there's nothing there, cut him loose.
At any rate, I'd wager that some team will give him a shot, he IS lefthanded, after all.
Ollie has pitched very well against the Yanks, so it's obvious where he's going.
Boston? No. Tampa? Try again. Phillies? I see you aren't awake yet.
He's going to whoever the Yankees play in the 2011 Division Series. He's going to cap off his Comeback of the Year campaign throwing a Game 7 shutout.
This is so, because Hank Steinbrenner thinks it is so. Therefore, the Yankees sign Ollie by the end of the week. Got it?
sent from my iPad moments before I set it ablaze & threw it against the wall
[5] damn it's like that?
i also think he is villified because he is sort of the poster boy for the disaster that is the mets. minaya got completely duped by boras.
he probably ends up somewhere with a coach who is known for reclamation projects like duncan and the cards or something.
[4] I just don't think he's worth the paperwork. What's the best case scenario? 85 mph with his old bad control as opposed to the hideous control he's been displaying for the last three years?
[5] ...wish I had an iPad I could immolate and fling against the wall like a bad lieutenant...
6) yeah Ollie is probably the poster boy, but I think Mets fans (or people who used to root for the Mets, to be more accurate) have more resentment towards Beltran than any other Mets veteran.
I don't really think the Yanks will sign Ollie. But stranger things have happened. Let's just be thankful that the Yankees pitchers have had a good spring so far. Though I don't think the rotation is Ollie-proof yet.
[7] Best case scenario is him replicating his 2004 season. That's unlikely, but I'd settle for 2007.
8) yeah that was an empty threat. I'd never hurt iPad. But wouldn't mind going bad lieutenant on my work-issued blackberry sometime
[10] Well, the *best case* is him suddenly becoming Warren Spahn. If Perez was still capable of throwing in the mid 90s maybe 2007 would be possible. What's the best *realistic* case for a man with a mid 80s fastball and bad (at best) control?
[11] Anytime you wanna have a campfire Blackberry roast, I'm game. I hate the little bugger so much, I'm almost happy that AT&T is buying out T-Mobile so I can leave and get an iPhone or Droid...
I love my blackberry...
[12] Perez didn't throw mid 90's in 2007. If his knees are right (perhaps resolving the velocity issue, and minimizing the control issue), then it's possible that he replicates his 2007-8 seasons. At the league minimum, it's a reasonable gamble to take. If there's nothing there, then cut him loose.
enjoy the single most shameless hatchet job I've read since I made it a point to avoid Ian O'Connor at all costs (its about Marcus Thames btw)
http://lat.ms/fYUTdd
[16] damn! how'd you even stumble on this article?
just that he insisted on writing tims/tems throughout the article is pretty a-holish.
everyone knows thames is basically just a lefty masher that can occasionally get hot and hit righties and is a butcher in the field. what else is left to be said about that?
One of the new immutable laws of baseball is that anything bad that can happen to the Mets will happen to the Mets. I can't think of anything worse than Castillo and Perez starring for the Phillies and Yankees, respectively. On that basis alone, I would rush to sign Ollie.
[16] Obviously someone misses Podsednik.
[17] the guys at RAB tweeted it...I mean, damn.
[16] And Slimers wonders why the man doesn't want to talk to him? Maybe his stench preceded him; I'd walk away too.