The Oliver Perez Saga

Now that Ollie has completely imploded, the question becomes what to do with him. Perez has a record of 1-2 in five starts and an ERA of 9.97. Perez has pitched the same amount of innings (21 innings) as Pelfrey, Maine, and Hernandez, but all three have one less start. In those 21 innings he's allowed 24 runs on 28 hits and 21 walks while striking out 20.

The only thing that was keeping him in the rotation was his "Big Game Ollie" reputation against teams like Philly, Atlanta, and the Yankees. But after finishing the third in Philly, it was a fore gone conclusion that he wouldn't be making his next start.

So what are the Mets options, they could use him out of the pen or send him down, Ollie would have to accept an assignment to the minors. Directly after the game it sounded like he was willing to accept an assignment, which would made things easy on everyone, Ollie would get the help he needs and the Mets wouldn't have a strained relationship or roster.

""If I need it, then I have to go [to the minors], because right now I don't help my team," said Perez, who was similarly demoted by the Pirates after a woeful start three years ago. "Right now, I don't feel I'm doing my job." source NY Post
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However, by this morning Ollie was back pedaling from the idea of going to the minors, basically stating that he was emotional (yesterday) and that he would have to think about it if asked. Suddenly, he admitted to an undisclosed season long troublesome, ummm, right, yeah, right knee that he's been attempting to play through.

"When asked if he would still be willing to go to the minors, Perez said, "I don't know nothing."Pressed again with the same question, Perez said, "I don't know. I can't say that."When asked if the Mets have asked him to go to the minors, Perez said, "I can't say anything." source NJ.com
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I smell Super Agent Scott Boras; Ollie you'll only be 30 years old when your a free agent again. You'll have no value to me as a LOOGY or a guy who melted down and had to be sent to the minors, in the first month of a 36MM three year deal. Your going to be the guy who tried to play through the pain of a knee injury and tried to hide it because you felt obligated to play after the big contract. You obviously can't work your way through this, you need to go on the DL and then take a rehab assignment. (Omar) I don't care what you call it just get him to Buffalo.

The Mets could place Ollie on waivers but nobody is going to pick up his 36MM contract, which means they would just pull him back, since the Mets aren't going to release him and eat the deal. Using him in the pen would be a waste of a roster spot, since he's so wild and couldn't be trusted, even in mop up duty if he gets bombed, then you continue to lose him mentally. If somehow they were able to fix him in the pen, then they would have to figure out how to stretch his arm back out.

The perfect solution for both sides to save face and possibly have a positive out come, is for Ollie to go on the DL with this newly disclosed knee injury......

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The injury was a new development. Perez made no mention of it after the game Saturday or at all before that. But an ice bag on his knee was conspicuous by its presence Sunday, prompting speculation -- among players and others -- that assignment to the disabled list had become another option for the club.

Three teammates, one who has become frustrated with Perez's poor pitching, said they knew nothing of the injury before Sunday. Manuel said he had noticed Perez "fussing with it [his knee]" after beating out an infield hit in the second inning. After he had dressed for the flight and the ice bag had been removed, Perez was asked which leg he had injured. He hesitated and looked down before indicating it was his right leg.

"The knee has been bothering me all season," Perez said. "It doesn't feel good. This is my first time pitching with something that has bothered me. It's not easy." source MLB.com

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