McGraw’s rallying cry
extremely limited, so the Mets see putting him in the bullpen as a way to get more out of him.
But, that plan makes no sense when you look beyond the numbers and look at what has happened to the Mets’ pitching staff over the last three years.
Wheeler has always been a pitcher who takes longer to bounce back, Warthen said. Unlike the Mets’ other starters, Wheeler always throws his bullpen sessions three days after a start compared to the traditional two.
“It’s always been difficult for him to recover between starts. Tough for him to throw bullpens. A lot of pitchers are like that, they don't recover well maybe until the fifth day.
“We have to be careful when he's throwing next to the rest of those guys, because he wants to be one of the in September to correct an issue he had been playing with since 2012. He finished physical therapy in three months and is on track for a normal spring training. Walker’s recovery was enough that the Mets, who traded away second baseman of the future Dilson Herrera for Jay Bruce last summer, were interested in a deal longer than the qualifying offer.
Before Walker accepted the one-year, $17 million offer, he said that his agent had talks with the Mets about a possible multi-year deal.
According to multiple sources, the Mets and Walker discussed a three-year deal that was
TWEST POINT
HOWARD SIMMONS/NEWS (starting) five and you can’t blame him for that. He earned it a long time ago,” Warthen said. “We have to be extremely careful of this kid, because it’s a special arm and it needs to be healthy when he gets back.”
And putting him in the bullpen just isn’t a fit.
Warthen seemed to be making that case Wednesday, arguing instead to use Wheeler as a spot starter and occasional sixth man in the rotation to limit Wheeler's workload — and keep all their starters healthy. his latest incident may not be a setback in Wheeler’s long and difficult comeback, but it should be a warning sign to the Mets. Listen to Warthen and Wheeler’s body and scrap this ridiculous idea of making Wheeler a reliever. “north of $40 million.” A Mets source said that the communication between the team and Walkers’ agent is “ongoing,” but an extension was “not imminent.”
Wednesday, Walker said he would not rule out the possibility of a deal eventually being worked out.
The Mets announced they will play an exhibition game March 31 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, facing the Army baseball team at Doubleday Field at Johnson Stadium.