As we enter the All Star break the 2009 Mets are in the most undesirable position. Their sloppy play has put them under .500 and provided us no signs of a team that is poised to make a serious playoff run. The rest of the league, however, has yet to show that they are capable of putting them away. Knowing that most of their key injured players are still about 30 days away you still have to be skeptical about the Mets chances. That is why Omar Minaya must continue to make the type of move he did on Friday, when he traded Ryan Church for Jeff Francoeur, as he prepares for 2010 and beyond. In addition to finding trading partners for veterans such as Luis Castillo, Livan Hernandez, Tim Redding, and Gary Sheffield, they must also give their top prospects a chance to develop at the major league level. That is why Jonathan Niese should be in the rotation by August 1st.

Niese is a baffling prospect because you can’t quit get a handle on him. It’s been feast or famine during his big league cup of coffee. Is he the pitcher that was clocked by Milwaukee, Chicago, and Atlanta, or the dominant version that combined to give up 2 runs in 14 innings? Even his season at AAA has been marred by extreme peaks and valleys. The key is that great 12 to 6 curveball, but command at the big league level has prevented him from utilizing his most effective weapon. Recently you heard about some increased movement on a two seam fastball he has developed. Toby Hyde at Mets Minor League Blog even compared how lefties, like Niese, can succeed with an upper eighties/low nineties fastball. In any event, his recent success at Buffalo (3.31 ERA in his last 10 starts) indicates that he has started to maybe turn the corner.

How much worse can Niese be than Oliver Perez, Tim Redding, or Livan Hernandez? Fernando Nieve, although a nice story, is essentially a 6 inning/3 run pitcher. Niese can do that and perhaps a bit more. Dominating Scranton, Rochester, and Charlotte is good to get one’s confidence going. Throwing up quality starts in the big leagues is where development begins. It sounds like Niese has gotten to the point where he needs the same kind of treatment that Mike Pelfrey received: Throw him into the fire. His starts this year will not be nearly as damaging as Pelfrey’s since the Mets are in a quasi pennant race. If he succeeds to the point where you are comfortable with him being a permanent member of the 2010 rotation, then you just saved yourself money for other important areas this offseason (i.e. first base, left field, perhaps even bringing in a legit #2 starter). All these reports and graphs are good, but the only way to accurately assess that the situation is to see Niese in the big leagues, not Buffalo.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com

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Tags: Jonathan Niese, New York Mets