The uncertainty of the Mets pitching staff has been a topic of conversation this offseason. To date, we have no idea if the Mets are willing to pay the price for one of the second tier starters on the free agent market. If spring training were to start today the likely rotation would be Santana, Pelfrey, Maine, Perez, and some sort of fifth starter (Nelson Figueroa?). I have said a few times if the Mets beef up their offense, and bullpen, I can live with this group. Back in 2006, the starters pitched less than 1,000 innings leaving the bullpen to pick up almost 37% of the total innings for that season. This isn’t rare in the era of the “six inning starter”, but even this year’s Yankees, whose number five and six starters combined for less than five innings per start, didn’t have that large percentage of bullpen utilization. It’s not crazy to think the 2010 Mets will need three innings a night to navigate a ballgame. Enter R.A Dickey who might benefit from a move to the National League and has the rubber arm to help the situation.

In 2006 the Mets had Darren Oliver to come in when their starters faltered early. I don’t expect Dickey to put up the numbers of Oliver, but if the move to the NL shaves off a half a run I can live with a 4.00 ERA and eating 60+ relief innings. If you break down his 09′ season, a terrible July, where he was eating innings in blowout games, contributed to about 15 earned runs. His final tally is far more respectable 3.45. If you believe in the half run rule of the NL that puts him below 3 earned runs a game.

Keep in mind another value of Dickey. If a pitcher comes up lame you might not have to make emergency roster moves to replace them in the rotation. Last year the Mets lost Darren O’ Day because of a Nelson Figueroa April start. They almost lost Figueroa after that as well when he filed for free agency.

I am not trying to make this signing out to be more than it is. There is a great chance Dickey will be more valuable to the Buffalo Bisons than in New York. Obviously knuckleball pitchers are going to rely on a bit of luck and we haven’t even discussed who is going to catch the darn thing (I am guessing Blanco). Good teams have pitchers that can eat innings on a moment’s notice. The 2000 Mets had Pat Mahomes, in 06′ Darren Oliver was their guy, and in the eighties you had a guy named Terry Leach. This could turn out to be a more important signing than we all think.

Tags: 2010 Mets Starting Rotation, Darren Oliver, New York Mets, Pat Mahomes, R.A Dickey, Terry Leach