Trouble with the Mets rotation. Adam Rubin reports that the Mets have “legitimate concerns” about Shaun Marcum after he had to cut a bullpen session short due to a neck issue. He’s going to see a doctor today and will not make the start scheduled for Thursday. This also very clearly puts the beginning of the regular season in doubt.
The Mets have some options if Marcum is not available. One is to shuffle the rotation around, bumping Marcum a few days. Or they could DL him, going through April with four starters, which is usually doable given the additional off-days. Another option: call up a young pitcher like, say, Zack Wheeler.
About that last one, Mike Puma of the New York Post spoke to one Met who is pro-Wheeler. But from the sounds of it the Mets aren’t willing to do it, which makes that one Met kind of mad:One Mets player says it’s “ridiculous” the team won’t call up Zack Wheeler simply to avoid starting his arbitration clock. (cont).
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) March 26, 2013
Said the player: “I can understand doing that [with Wheeler] in someplace like San Diego, but this is a big market.”
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) March 26, 2013
The player continued: “If you bring up Wheeler and he’s the real thing, you’re going to make up the money with extra people coming.”
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) March 26, 2013
I don’t know if that math works out -- if Wheeler is a stud the few weeks he’s on the team now could mean tens of millions of dollars later -- but you can understand how a guy on the current Mets’ roster would want the best available solutions now, not later.
Anyway: Marcum’s status is worth watching.
