Fueled by pierogis, time to write up another rumor before I hit the hay. Monday should be good times.
According to Will Carroll this evening, the Mets and Cardinals are talking about an Aaron Heilman for Jason Marquis swap. Most Mets fans seem up in arms at the possibility.
After all, Marquis will be a free agent after this season and currently sports a 5.67 ERA and 1.41 WHIP. "But wait!" you’re saying. "What about those times Tony La Russa sacrificed his ERA to save the bullpen?" Alright, alright, let’s take those out (which is more than a tad generous). Removing Marquis’s 12 and 13 earned run starts, he’s got a 4.39 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. That actually makes Marquis look like an above average pitcher. Indeed, he is a pretty solid back of the rotation guy.
Heilman has stumbled a bit this season, posting a 4.32 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 58 innings of relief. He’s actually improved upon his control a bit, but his strikeout rate is down significantly and his hit rate is subsequently way up. It’d be interesting to see what a Dave Duncan or Don Cooper could do with him. Could he be worked back into a starting role? It’s not out of the question but success as a starter is no slam dunk. Just ask Ryan Madson.
