Oliver Perez: The New York Mets' Plan To Replace Takahashi and Feliciano?

As the year of "Perpetual Pedro" and surprising consistency from Hisanori Takahashi is over, the New York Mets are once again on the look out for bullpen help this upcoming season.

Free-agent names have been floating around, but as per GM Sandy Alderson, “You shouldn’t expect us to come back with a high-profile trophy.”

So this leaves the Mets to look within the organization to construct next year’s bullpen.

Guys like Ryota Igarashi, Pat Misch and Manny Acosta will be asked to step up and prove they are deserving of a spot in the pen, but an interesting name to go along with this group is fan favorite Oliver Perez.

Hearing his name being brought up in discussions about next years team does make me uneasy, as I just want to see the team cut their losses and let him go.

But if Perez can demonstrate the pitching that Minaya once thought deserving of a three-year, $36 million contract, then I guess management will have to give him a look.

But to be perfectly honest, why will this year be any different from the past?

His 2010 season was atrocious, going 0-5 with a 6.80 ERA. He has only reached double-digits in the wins column three times in his nine-year career and he has been getting shelled this winter playing in Mexico.

He is a total loose cannon on the mound which causes the wheels to come off very quickly and that’s the last thing our bullpen needs.

I realize I am just stating the obvious and if anyone was barely familiar with the Mets they would understand this also. But giving the terms of his contract, and the year remaining, it only seems right to see what Ollie’s got for 2011.

By no means am I saying that there aren’t better options available outside the organization, because there is a slew, but with the evident lack of funds the team is working with, Ollie could be our Opening Day lefty-specialist…until the inevitable implosion.