Since John Maine left the rotation for the DL, the Mets have led the league in wins, going 19-5. Why? The rotation leads the league during the same stretch of time with the lowest earned run average.
With John Maine coming back from the DL soon, everyone is wondering whether Jerry Manuel will leave Takahashi in the rotation and ask Maine to go into the bullpen, or the reverse.
Maine has given the team only one win in nine starts while Takahashi has given us three wins in six starts, including holding the Yankees to zero runs in two of these starts. More than that, he is now part of a rotation dominating the league.
If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Or in other terms, play the hot hand. What bothers me is I know Manuel doesn’t play the hot hand. In fact, he often plays the cold one.
Put Maine in the bullpen. If Takahashi tires, or ceases to perform as expected, then switch them. Otherwise, it’s like putting a flat tire on a car that’s been winning all its races.
And as for Ollie Perez. I think his being Designated For Assignment (let go) should be seriously considered. There really shouldn’t be any worry that he will become productive on another club. He won’t.
Takahashi will give more to this team providing starting pitching like tonight than he will in the bullpen. We have a rotation that gives the team a chance to win every night. Let Maine contribute to the team from the bullpen for now.
What do you think?
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