I just saw that Brian Cashman is apparently the last person in New York to notice that the Mets rode pitcher Pedro Feliciano pretty hard when he was with the team. What’s next? Cashman professing shock that A.J. Burnett is a little flaky? Brian being surprised that John Sterling makes some over-the-top home run calls? Cash wondering why Gary Busey acts so wacky on “Celebrity Apprentice”?
Here’s the story on Feliciano. YES Network reporter Jack Curry sez on his Twitter feed today that Cashman complained today about the way the other team across town used him, griping, “He was abused.” Feliciano led the big leagues in pitching appearances over the last three years, Curry notes.
You know, in an era where most baseball players don’t have good nicknames any more, Feliciano has not one but two. And both are related to being used all the time: Everyday Pedro and Perpetual Pedro. That should have been a clue that there might be an issue here.
The fact that Feliciano ended up on the disabled list before the season even began shouldn’t be shocking to ANYBODY. Especially a GM who works in the very same town as the Mets do. This wasn’t exactly some obscure fact here!
I mean, doesn’t Cashman remember The Torre Years? He should know what happens when a manager overworks bullpen arms — ineffectiveness, time on the disabled list, and ultimately Tommy John surgery.
Besides, complaining about Feliciano being “abused” by the Mets is just obnoxious. Yes, they overworked him. And didn’t re-sign him, even though Feliciano did a good job for them. That should have been a clue to the smartest GM in baseball. It’s like spending an evening with Charlie Sheen, and wondering why he can’t just stick to drinking milkshake and playing tiddlywinks while watching “Matlock” reruns.
Instead, with Feliciano, Cashman had one of his “clap your hands if you believe in fairies” wishful thinking moments. Like when he was willing to take a chance — again — this winter on Carl Pavano, the worst Yankee signing in history. He actually offered him $10 million to pitch (or more likely, not pitch) for the Yanks in 2011. Imagine if Pavano had agreed to it. American Idle would be on the disabled list for a hangnail injury, and Cash would find a way to blame it on the Twins or something. Good grief.
Curry said Cashman told him he signed Feliciano because, as Curry writes, “there was limited market for lefty relievers.” Oh, boo bleeding hoo. Sorry, but signing a pitcher the winter after he was only the fifth reliever in history to make 90 or more appearances in one season, and then complaining about the Mets abusing him, is just ridiculous. That would be like bringing back Javier Vazquez after he gave up a grand slam to the Boston Red Sox in the worst loss in the history of the franchise or something. Oh, wait.
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