Source: Mets Interested In Vazquez

Obviously the Mets are looking for starting pitching so it would seem to me Omar Minaya would be looking for pitchers with proven track records and or some decent upside. But with this report coming out of Chicago it seems he is seeking neither. Dave Van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune is reporting that a source at the GM meetings yesterday in Dana Point, Calif. said the Mets are interested in Chicago White Sox hurler Javier Vazqez.

Van Dyck says he does not know what the Mets may have to part with for Vazquez but it is reasonable to assume that money will be the major component if a deal could be struck. Vazquez is owed 23 million over the next two seasons.

One from a well-placed source at the general managers meetings said the Mets had interest in Javier Vazquez.
The source did not know what the Mets were offering in return, but it might not be much if they would take the entire $23 million owed to the right-hander for the next two seasons.

Now, I understand that Vazquez has a live arm and Omar had him when they were both in Montreal. But when he was in NY with the Yankees and since with the White Sox Vazquez has proven he cannot handle a big market or big games. When with the Yankees his regular season numbers were decent but his playoff appearances were dismal. In the 2004 playoffs vs the Twins he gave up five ER and seven hits in just five innings. Then vs the Red Sox he got the win but gave up seven ER and nine hits in 6.1 innings. Then this year the Rays destroyed him. He allowed six ER and eight hits in just 4.1 innings.

So please Omar look for players who haven’t already shown everybody that they can’t handle the big stage. It’s not like the Mets have a pitching coach who could fix these guys in ten minutes.