Via Kevin Kernan -
There remains one final major move for the Yankees to make. Same goes for the Mets.
The Yankees still have a hole in their rotation. This has been an incredibly prosperous offseason for the Yankees and GM Brian Cashman with the free-agent additions of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira. Making one final move toward youth on the free-agent market will set them up for years to come.
The Yankees are waiting on Andy Pettitte but there is another lefty available at basically Pettitte dollars and that’s Oliver Perez. Signing Perez would cement the Yankees’ rotation for years to come and would give them flexibility with Joba Chamberlain.
“Putting Perez on the Yankees would be a great move,” says one top pitching evaluator. “That would be the perfect environment for him. He would be more focused there. He needs strong leadership around him, and pitching in front of a packed house, he would not be complacent.”
Perez is 5-1 against the Yankees lifetime. He takes those games as a challenge and he attacks. Because he already has six full seasons under his belt and has had his share of ups and downs, people forget Perez is just 27. Opposing hitters batted only .234 last season against him. Walks, of course, have been his downfall. There is no excuse for his ridiculous 105 walks, the most in the majors. In eight of his 34 starts last season, Perez surrendered five or more walks.
That has to change. The previous season, he walked 79.
Perez is represented by Scott Boras, who also represents Mark Teixeira. Cashman has a good working relationship with Boras. The GM would have to take a leap of faith with Perez, but the upside could be tremendous. In Pettitte, the Yankees will get a pitcher they hope has one good season left in his cranky left shoulder.
While I agree that it would truly benefit the Yankees to pick up another starter this off-season…since Chamberlain and Burnett have had health issues in the past and the only thing backing them up are the Greenhorn Gang of Hughes, Kennedy, Aceves, et al…com’on Oliver Perez?
Oliver Perez has had two good seasons (meaning 2004 and 2007) in the past seven years. In all his other seasons, besides these two, he’s been below average or terrible. Worse, he’s cut from the Joaquin Andujar/Jose Lima/Ugueth Urbina mold in the sense that he’s a bit of a headcase.
I would much rather see Andy Pettitte return for one more year – than see Perez sign with the Yankees. Heck, I would rather see the Yankees give Jon Garland a two-year deal, to be their fifth starter, than Perez. Further, I would rather see the Yankees give someone like Jon Lieber or Randy Wolf or Jason Jennings a non-roster, look-see and make-good, invite to Spring Training (with respect to being the last man in their rotation) than signing Oliver Perez.
17 Responses to “Kernan: Yanks Should Take Perez Over Pettitte”
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January 4th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Kiernan should be smacked for this suggestion.
I’m interested to hear your definition of “headcase,” especially since it was used in the context of 3 other hispanic pitchers
January 4th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
FWIW, those were the first three that came to mind. By “headcase,” here, I meant it in a Rube Waddell meets Tony Montana kind of way. Not too bright and a bit of a hot head.
Looking back at it now, I could have thrown Jeff Weaver in there too.
January 4th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
I forget the question. But I know Oliver Perez isn’t the answer.
January 4th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
The numbers support signing Perez. For the last 2 years, his ERA+ was around 109, about the same as Pettitte’s. Due to age, Perez is likely to improve in 2009 and Pettitte is likely to regress.
January 4th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
FWIW, from 2007 through 2008, Pettitte had 13 RSAA in 419.3 IP whereas Perez had 12 RSAA in 371 IP. Yes, it’s close. But, I still would not touch him with a ten foot pole.
January 4th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
The numbers support signing Perez. For the last 2 years, his ERA+ was around 109, about the same as Pettitte’s.
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Perez’s numbers were posted in a weaker league.
Anyway, Fielding Independent Pitching
OP
07: 4.35
08: 4.68
AP
07: 3.87
08: 3.71
I’d take Pettitte over Perez, wouldn’t think twice about it, actually.
January 4th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
In a word, no.
January 4th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
darn I was trying to post a facepalm, but honestly this debate is silly Perez sucks
January 4th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
To me Perez is an even more inconsistent/less stuff type of pitcher than Allan Jerk Burnit BUT Perez has actually pitched big games in the playoffs. That being said, like Burnit the Yanks don’t need two wack jobs . Though Perez never had to get the police involved in a domestic dispute like Burnit did up in Toronto……
Look, bringing Pettitte back as a number 5 is the way to go. Anything else is not as good. Maybe Lowe for 3, but hey let’s not push it.
January 4th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Steve one more thing, I agree with Jennings and Lieber but think that some team will snatch up Wolf on a major league deal, no? It doesn’t hurt to see certain guys fight for a job.
January 4th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Perez has actually pitched big games in the playoffs.
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2 games. One he pitched well, one he pitched terrible.
January 5th, 2009 at 12:11 am
[...] and will command a 3 year deal.Oliver Perez (27) – Type A, offered arb. The subject of several columns today. He walked 105 in 194IP. In the NL.Tim Redding (31) had [...]
January 5th, 2009 at 8:57 am
That’s two more than Burnit! Same difference…….
January 5th, 2009 at 9:08 am
Wolf is getting multi yr deals.
WHy not go after a Perez especially since Andy P thinks hes worth 16 mil?
He’s a 27 yr old lefty with dominating stuff. You have to think you can get his head straight and focus right don’t you? That is why you have coaches right?
January 5th, 2009 at 9:46 am
WHy not go after a Perez especially since Andy P thinks hes worth 16 mil?
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Because Perez is terrible. And will get worse as he gets older.
He was lousy with the Padres, Pirates & Mets, I’m not entirely sold on him yet.
He’s a lefthanded Jeff Kartsens with a better fastball.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:55 am
That’s two more than Burnit! Same difference…….
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Using that logic, we should bring back Jeff Weaver, he pitched big games in the playoffs too…
Anyway, Perez has almost 1,000 innings in the bigs that says he sucks, I’ll go with that, instead of the 11 innings of “BIG GAME PITCHING” (7 of which were any good), that he threw in the playoffs.
January 6th, 2009 at 4:25 am
In these difficult economic times, I do not know how Kevin Kerna still has a job, other than that he is exceptionally good at writing sensational pieces for one of the worst tabloids in the City.
Along the same lines, everyone who want Joba back in the ‘Pen missed Brad Penny NL All-Star start, where he acknowledged that he ‘just reared back and let it go’, threw his FB, like, 99 mph, and struck out six batters in two innings. HEY, let’s make Brad Penny a Closer!!!
No, you moron. He’s got three above average pitches, when he’s healthy. Leave him starting.
Do you want 70 IPs of Joba or 150 (increasing to 200)?
Advocating Joba’s move to the ‘Pen is a very insecure and immature position to take.