Only One Wise Move

Matt Wise is scheduled to throw in back to back games during his minor league rehab this week. He recently had a tidy 2 inning outing where he struck out 3 and did not allow a hit. Wise was expected to add another nice 7th inning right-handed option to the Mets bullpen. He managed to only stay healthy for 2 appearances, including one where he gave up a game-winning homer to legendary power threat Robert Andino, before experiencing forearm tightness. Still, the Mets will welcome a fresh arm to their overworked bullpen.

In order to bring Wise back into the fold, the Mets will need to make a roster move. The easiest, but certainly not the smartest, would be to send Joe Smith to AAA because he still has options and only made the team because of Duaner Sanchez' injury and only stayed on the roster because Wise got hurt. However, Joe Smith has been the most consistent and effective of the Mets right-handed relief options. He also provides a different look to a bullpen filled with fastball and change-up types.

If some sources are to be believed, Nelson Figueroa may be pitching for his spot tonight since the Mets are considering moving Jorge Sosa into the rotation to open a bullpen spot for Wise. Figueroa may yet turn back into a pumpkin, but he's been a reliable starter for the Mets. Who else besides Johan Santana and just recently John Maine can say that?

Yesterday, the monkeys posted some their feelings on Mike Pelfrey. We think he still will be a solid starter, but if the Mets decided he needs some more time in AAA, we'd hardly argue with that. What we would argue is that Tony Armas Jr. who is 1-2 with a 2.57 ERA in AAA would be a better replacement for Pelfrey in the rotation than Jorge Sosa.

Which brings us to the only wise move ... DFA Jorge Sosa. The monkeys have already delved into their feelings about Jorge Sosa in previous posts (see "Swing, man"). Willie Randolph constantly marvels at Sosa's versatility. Just because you can do a lot of things does not mean you can do them well. Sosa is a versatile failure. He has failed as a starter, a long man, a situational righty and a short man. He has the highest ERA on the team. Who wants to bet that his next pitch won't be a slider? Any takers? Bueller...Bueller? The Mets have many others in their organization who could fill his swingman role. The monkeys have previously suggested Joselo Diaz, but Tony Armas and Ruddy Lugo could also fill this role. We all know the Mets don't like to eat contracts, but if they don't, they'll be hungry for a new swingman soon enough.