Rotation-By-Committee: Why Omar's New Idea Just Might Work

Minaya may have gotten lucky with that trade, and re-signing Tom Glavine was definitely a plus, but the rotation does not go, to coin a football term, three and out. Luckily, he is now able to call on Oliver Perez, (whom many have called a "bust"), the throw-in in the Xavier Nady-for-Roberto Hernandez deal, to be the number four starter. After a stellar NLCS Game 7 performance, the Mets are ready to give Perez another chance to be the dominant pitcher he was in 2004.

Incredibly, three of the Mets' five starters weren't on their 2006 Opening Day roster. Most likely, the same can be said for the eventual fifth starter. In a way similar to his "patching together" of the bullpen in last year's off-season, Omar has signed many guys capable of starting every fifth day. He signed Chan Ho Park to just under a million dollars, with quite a bit of money in incentives, but the Mets would be more than willing to hand over the cash to see Park put up numbers like he did in the mid-90's.

Former Marlins star prospect and left-handed starter Jason Vargas was brought over in a trade and has done well in his limited playing time thus far in Spring Training. Aaron Sele, a former solid pitcher for the Angels and Mariners, was signed to either be the long reliever or fifth starter. Then, we have two future aces who are going to either grab the fifth spot or continue to work on their craft in the minors.

Mike Pelfrey, who had a 5.48 ERA last year in a few starts, is one candidate. Pelfrey is a twenty-two year old out of Wichita State, where his pitching coach, Brent Kemnitz, said the pitcher was the best he had ever coached (with a list that included the likes of Randy Johnson and Ben McDonald). Then there's Phil Humber, a twenty-three year old starter out of Rice University, who has recently come back from Tommy John surgery to make a strong case for inclusion. Many scouts actually prefer Humber to Pelfrey, but the two are pretty interchangeable in terms of rankings. Although the Mets want to protect their prospects, they may be forced to have them face MLB hitters this season.

Finally, we have a few other pitchers who may be starting Met games in 2007. This list included Cuban defector Alay Soler, who has pitched excellently in Spring Training and started for the Mets in 2006. There is also Jorge Sosa, a former third baseman turned pitcher who put up great numbers two years ago, but struggled horrendously for the Braves last season. Finally, there's Dave Williams, who should see time in the big leagues when he returns from a serious neck injury in a few months. Aaron Heilman may want to be mentioned, but Willie and Rick Peterson have made it clear that it is not happening.

Complemented by a stellar offense, will the rotation be as important for the Mets as it could be for other teams? Without question, no. But it is still vitally important for any winning ballclub to have a reliable cadre of candidates, and that is what Omar Minaya & Co. were looking to do this off-season. With many options and some quality starters, Omar may have put together another one of his "masterpieces".