New York Mets starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey started the season as the team's No. 1 starter, but beyond that, he hasn't had a very good year. WIth a 6-9 record, 4.53 ERA and 1.37 WHIP entering Saturday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the former first-round pick has certainly not taken the next step this season after a solid 2010 campaign.
When you're "No. 1" starter is struggling on a team that has faced countless injuries, it all adds up to a squad that will have its fair share of troubles, and with a 58-60 record, that's exactly what the Mets have been this year.
Entering this season, nobody really expected the Mets to be contenders, but nobody on the Mets has said so. This seems to be a tight-nit group with who don't give up. Nobody has shown negativity in what has been a trying season. That is, until Pelfrey told the New York Post on Friday that this team is far from winning it all.
"It's unrealistic for anybody at the end of last year to come in and say, 'The Mets, this is a one-year thing, next year we're going to win it all.' It's unrealistic."
Even though the Mets have not been dominant in any extent of the word, they have been fun to watch, and with all the injuries, they've managed to be respectable. So, it's not wonder an anonymous teammate was quoted as saying:
An anonymous teammate was quoted as responding: "He's cutting his own throat. What's his record, six and nine? He's supposed to be the ace of the (bleeping) staff. Why don't you go and win 12 or 13 games?"
Pelfrey met with manager Terry Collins for 10 minutes before the game, but Collins said to reporters before the game that he doesn't believe Pelfrey needs to apologize for his comments.
Comments like this are inexcusable, in my opinion. If Pelfrey doesn't believe in his teammates -- or from the looks of it, believe in himself -- then maybe the Mets should just let him go this offseason. Pelfrey has been close to worthless (0.3 WAR) this season, and at this point he's really not more than a No. 5-type starter in my mind.