Perhaps starting to feel the building pressure of February 14th, starting pitcher Oliver Perez and the New York Mets agreed to terms, extending their relationship another 3 years for $36 million.
No, it wasn’t Valentine’s Day or love that reunited them, but the slowly closing pitching market and the need for a stable starting staff by the time pitchers and catchers report mid-month that probably led to the deal getting done.
But one scout familiar with the contract was quoted as saying, “That’s No. 2 starter money, and he’s not a No. 2.” Earlier this offseason, Derek Lowe spurned the Mets to sign a four-year $60 million deal with the Braves. Perez was their back-up plan, with Ben Sheets and Randy Wolf serving as alternatives.
But Ben Sheets has averaged roughly 150 innings over the last 3 years and is, at any given moment, an awkward movement away from the DL. Wolf is closing in on a contract with the Dodgers and is certainly not a top-of-the-rotation starter.
So you have to ask, is Perez - most likely a No. 3 or No. 4 starter - getting this money because he is a known, albeit inconsistent, quantity? Is the 27-year old southpaw more valuable to the Mets now that rival Philadelphia has a lefty-heavy middle of their lineup?
Either way, it appears as though the Metropolitans are done spending for the winter. And after the love letters and chocolates have been exchanged, the Perez/NY relationship will take the field with their sights set on the post-season appearance missing since 2006.
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