Oliver Perez is Earning That Money

Yesterday, Oliver Perez made his second start back from the WBC, where he was rocked, and got, well, rocked. He let up six runs on five hits and six walks in 3 2/3 innings. Now, it is March and I usually don’t pay to much attention to these things but Dan Warthen, the Mets Pitching Coach, seems to have a few thoughts about Omar’s $36 million man:

“I was a little reticent when he left, and my worries have come to fruition,” Warthen said. “I think he needs the camaraderie of people that push him. So yes, I think he’s a guy that needs to stay with the group and be hands on. Ollie’s a guy that has to repeat his delivery time and time again, with a lot of volume delivery-wise. Yes, it set him back. He’s set back probably at least 10 days.”

Now if Oliver Perez was a first or second year pitcher, I would understand but the Mets are paying Ollie $12 million a year for the next three years. Is it wise to give that money to a fucking pea brain that needs multiple people motivating him at all times? He was gone for three weeks not three months. How the hell do you ruin everything you had been taught in three weeks?

To that end, Warthen acknowledged he had concerns that Perez wouldn’t push himself to do the required work on his own during his downtime at the tournament.

“He came into camp in good shape. I thought he was throwing the ball well when he left…I think he’s out of shape, the arm is out of shape. It’s a combination. Since he’s come back we really haven’t seen the life out of the hand, the ball is just not jumping out right now….I think he’s gained a little weight and needs to start pushing himself a little more.”

So not only is he just off, he got fat in three weeks? FTW? If the Mets knew this guy is a mental patient with a fastball, why let him leave? But my bigger concern is why sign him in the first place? A project is one thing if you are paying very little, it is another thing when he is your second highest paid starter. Well done Omar.