Is Chris Schwinden a Member of the New York Mets’ 2012 Starting Rotation?
Virtually eliminated from the 2011 playoff race, the New York Mets are free to look ahead to the 2012 season. At the forefront of the New York Mets’ concerns are Jose Reyes, bullpen fortification and starting pitching – likely in that order. Nuggets have surfaced here and there regarding the New York Mets’ reluctance to spend big money on starting pitching this off-season – it’s not as if any slam dunk free agents are available anyway. That means Sandy Alderson and the rest of the front office will be on the lookout for some more bargain options to insert into the back end of the rotation for next season. There will be plenty of guys for the New York Mets to consider, but one guy that nobody is talking about yet is 24-year RHP Chris Schwinden – a guy who I had not heard of until today. Paul DePodesta – the guy who oversees player development – had high praise for Chris Schwinden. He compared him to Dillon Gee for his ability to throw strikes with four pitches – a low-90′s fastball, cutter/slider, curve and change-up. Chris Schwinden will likely get a shot to make the New York Mets’ rotation out of Spring Training in 2012.
I’m not particularly excited about Schwinden assuming a rotation spot with the Mets in 2012, but it’s not a terrible scenario. The more you get to know me, the more you’ll learn that I’m a sucker for the flame throwers. Good or bad, I have a soft spot for the guys that can blow you away with the fastball and then drop in some off-speed stuff to make you look foolish. As unrealistic as it may be, I want my teams to have two or three Justin Verlanders. Yeah, I know it’s silly, but what are you going to do? Anyway, I’m not down on the idea of Schwinden joining the Mets’ rotation in 2012, I’m just a little skeptical. His numbers in Triple-A (3.62 ERA, 8.22 K/9, 2.6 K/BB) are solid enough to suggest that he could perform respectably in the back of someone’s rotation, but I don’t like the fact that he hasn’t made it into Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook. Inclusion in the Handbook isn’t a rite of passage necessary to becoming an effective big leaguer but it would just instill more confidence in me, that’s all.
I’m not terribly concerned about how the New York Mets’ starting rotation looks in 2012. I figure that it will be 2013 or 2014 before the Mets can really challenge the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies for the National League East division title, so next season will simply be the end of the transition/rebuilding period. The most important thing in my mind is getting (and keeping) the young guys like Jenrry Mejia, Matt Harvey, Jeurys Familia and Zack Wheeler healthy and ready to make their way into the Major League rotation. I’m not chomping at the bit to see what next season has in store, but if the long-term plan for New York Mets success includes Chris Schwinden joining some combination of Johan Santana, R.A. Dickey, Dillon Gee, Jonathan Neise and perhaps Chris Capuano in 2012, then I’m all for it.
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