Why the Mets should non-tender Mike Pelfrey

It's time to cut the ties and say goodbye to the Big Pelf. It's time to admit that he isn't any good and has no place on the team. Tonight is the arbitration deadline which means that the Mets could non-tender Mike Pelfrey and allow him to become a free agent. Now this would be ultimately be a bad idea because we probably could have gotten a prospect or two (or Huston Street if rumors are to be believed) in a trade for Pelf. But I am more than willing to let that happen if we can just cut ties to the big man.

The biggest reason we always hear about Pelfrey's value is that he pitches a lot of innings. This is true, over the last three years he has pitched 184, 204 and 193 innings respectively and a total over 876 careers innings over six seasons. In those innings he posted a career ERA of 4.40 and a WHIP of 1.45. He has a career total of almost 10 hits per 9 innings (9.9) and has a k/9 of just 5.1. His career WAR is 5.7. What does all this tell us? Mike Pelfrey gives up a lot of hits, strikes people out sometimes and rarely gets hurt. Mike Pelfrey is fine, he is average with an occasional flash of a little above average. His numbers are just good enough to get by but not nearly good enough to make a difference. I have been saying for months that it's time to get rid of the guys who couldn't win for us in the terrible 2005-2010 years and Mike Pelfrey is their king.

Mike Pelfrey is the anti Tim Tebow. Right now everybody is talking about the Denver Broncos quarterback who, while not technically proficient, always finds a way to win. Pelfrey always finds a way to lose. He pitches a few innings, makes a few mistakes, gets down ion himself and totally implodes. We have seen it time and again, a guy like this has no place on our team right now. Let's give his spot to someone worth watching, someone who may even have similar or worse numbers but is capable of gritty, serious play. Someone who isn't a clubhouse complainer, someone we can believe in. Some day Mike Pelfrey might be a great pitcher someday, but for right now he is wrong for the Mets.