Last night, Johan Santana became the first pitcher in Mets history to allow six or more runs in five straight starts.
Think about that for a moment. The 1962 New York Mets are still the worst team in modern baseball history, losing a remarkable 120 games. Five other times, they’ve lost 100 or more games. They had 13 more seasons that they’ve lost at least 90 games.
But they never ran a starter out there who gave up six or more runs five times in a row before last night.
And they have to do it again, and keep doing it until Santana figures out what’s wrong.
Yet according to ESPN New York, Dan Warthen said last night that the Mets would need to at least consider shutting Santana down before the end of the season.
Worse, Santana himself “seemed receptive” to the idea according to Adam Rubin.
If Santana is hurt, of course he should be placed on the disabled list and treated. But he says he’s fine.
And if he’s fine, Santana has to keep pitching — no matter how ugly the results are.
Although his second half struggles mean the one-time Mets’ ace should be forced to earn his spot in the rotation next spring, his $25.5 million salary guarantees it, if not the Opening Day assignment.
So let’s get the experimenting, tinkering with mechanics and whatever else Warthen thinks he has in his bag of tricks underway now, during garbage time. There’s no reason to delay just to salvage pride.
I really don’t believe Santana is completely healthy. Players lie about their health all the time. I can’t believe this is just all about mechanics.
I think they need to shut him down. Considering that he’s coming off surgery to begin with, I think all you’re doing running him out there right now is ensuring the destruction of what’s left of his arm. And lets not forget, Santana said he was fine two years ago when he needed the surgery in the first place. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with his delivery, so there’s nothing you (or he) are going to learn by tossing him out there again and again. Think of it as “Stretch Armstrong syndrome”–with the surgery still a relatively recent thing, you’ve stretched him out once too often and you need to give the muscles time to regain their elasticity. Bring him back in the spring completely rested and he’ll probably respond. It’s not as if the Mets are going anywhere this year anyway. Or next. It’s not about salvaging pride. It’s about not foolishly destroying Santana’s arm once and for all. Let’s not do to Johan what Tampa Bay did to Kazmir.