Marcum to the Mets

[torts]

The Mets have agreed to sign free agent right-hander Shaun Marcum to a one-year deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links). Turner Gary Sports represents Marcum, whose deal is pending a physical.

 

The Mets' agreement with Marcum represents the team's first major free agent addition of the offseason, as MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows. The right-hander joins a rotation that includes Johan Santana, Jon Niese, Dillon Gee and Matt Harvey. Right-handed prospects Jenrry Mejia and Zack Wheeler could also contribute to the Mets in 2013, but they no longer seem likely to begin the season in the rotation.

 

Marcum pitched for the Brewers this past season, posting a 3.70 ERA with 7.9 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 35.4% ground ball rate in 124 innings over the course of 21 starts. The 31-year-old missed approximately two months due to elbow tightness in 2012 and his average fastball velocity remained well below 90 mph at 86.5 mph. Marcum, who joined the Brewers in a trade with Toronto following the 2010 season, has a career ERA of 3.76 with 7.3 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 38.7% ground ball rate in seven MLB seasons.

 

 

Read more at http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/#wTJ8vlclFyoMJMSV.99

[Invader3K]

I wouldn't have minded the Brewers bringing him back on a one year deal. I wonder what the salary ends up being.

[torts]

im guessing 7 million with performance bonuses, only because of his health history, well, and the fact that he clearly wasnt worth $13 million to the brewers for one year, and he's been floating as a FA for a little over 2 months now.

[pogokat]

A good move by him...worked splendidly for Capuano

[torts]

A good move by him...worked splendidly for Capuano

 

well, to be fair, whatever was wrong with Capuano was surgically fixed... whatever is wrong with Marcum.... will still be wrong with marcum come August/September/October

[Ennder]

Regardless a good move for Marcum. Sign on with a low pressure team with a mess at SP in a pitchers park.

[torts]

Regardless a good move for Marcum. Sign on with a low pressure team with a mess at SP in a pitchers park.

 

yeah, I agree with that!

[JohnBriggs12]

I wouldn't have minded the Brewers bringing him back on a one year deal. I wonder what the salary ends up being.

 

I think the Brewers just want to see what they have in the guys that did well last year and how Narveson looks too. Bringing back a guy like Marcum just takes opportunities away from guys who have earned them.

 

Guys better than Marcum will likely be available during the season, and they have salary room to make moves to get one of them if need be.

 

If Marcum pitches well, I'm sure the Mets will look to flip him The Brewers aren't seeing themselves in need of finding guys to flip. They see themselves contending.

[Thurston Fluff]

Regardless a good move for Marcum. Sign on with a low pressure team with a mess at SP in a pitchers park.

 

Not to mention a shot to go to a contender midway through the season if he pitches to his norm.

[jerichoholicninja]

Regardless a good move for Marcum. Sign on with a low pressure team with a mess at SP in a pitchers park.

 

Not to mention a shot to go to a contender midway through the season if he pitches to his norm.

 

You mean a good half season before getting hurt?

[Warning Track Power]

The Mets' agreement with Marcum represents the team's first major free agent addition of the offseason, as MLBTR's Free Agent Tracker shows. The right-hander joins a rotation that includes Johan Santana, Jon Niese, Dillon Gee and Matt Harvey.

If the Mets can avoid the injury bug and get the April-June 2012 Johan Santana (98IP, 2.76 ERA through June 30) and a typical Shaun Marcum (3.6 ERA, 1.2 WHIP) season, they will have the makings of a potentially strong staff with Niese, Gee and Harvey. It's a shame for them that they do not have much of an offense to couple it with.

[brewcrewdue80]

Regardless a good move for Marcum. Sign on with a low pressure team with a mess at SP in a pitchers park.

 

Not to mention a shot to go to a contender midway through the season if he pitches to his norm.

 

Marcum's recent 2nd half/finish to the season should make him untradeable to a contending team at midseason. If they did and Marcum does what he does late in the season, it would make a GM look awful for ignoring his past and downright in to the discussion of being fired over it for failing.

[502 to Right]

Personally, I think passing on Marcum on a one year deal is a mistake. There will be injuries and ineffectiveness with the new kids such that having a veteran presence will be missed. Time will tell if I'm right or wrong.

[RockCoCougars]

I think it all depends on what he got, but I really have the hunch that the Brewers have grave concerns about the condition of his elbow. I wouldn't be surprised if he had a nice year, but I also wouldn't be surprised if the duct tape holding his arm together came off.

[reillymcshane]

I think it all depends on what he got, but I really have the hunch that the Brewers have grave concerns about the condition of his elbow. I wouldn't be surprised if he had a nice year, but I also wouldn't be surprised if the duct tape holding his arm together came off.

I suspect something like this as well. The Brewers never showed any interest in Marcum after the season. Considering the need, it's kind of telling.

[The stache]

I hate to be negative here, but we essentially gave away Brett Lawrie for...what? Marcum's total WAR while in Milwaukee was 4.2.

 

When Lawrie starts lighting it up...and he will...the trade for Marcum is going to look worse than it does now. We got a good pitcher for a year and a half. The Jays potentially got their third baseman for the next decade plus.

 

At least we got something good when we lost Greinke. We'll get some worthless comp pick for Marcum.

[Funketown]

I think it all depends on what he got, but I really have the hunch that the Brewers have grave concerns about the condition of his elbow. I wouldn't be surprised if he had a nice year, but I also wouldn't be surprised if the duct tape holding his arm together came off.

 

I've suspected this for a while now. The Brewers were (i) the team with the best medical information on Marcum and (ii) in need of another starter. That they weren't willing to sign him to a presumably affordable (~$7MM) deal is pretty telling to me.

[trwi7]

We'll get some worthless comp pick for Marcum.

 

We won't even get that. We get absolutely nothing for Marcum.

[torts]

I hate to be negative here, but we essentially gave away Brett Lawrie for...what? Marcum's total WAR while in Milwaukee was 4.2.

 

When Lawrie starts lighting it up...and he will...the trade for Marcum is going to look worse than it does now. We got a good pitcher for a year and a half. The Jays potentially got their third baseman for the next decade plus.

 

At least we got something good when we lost Greinke. We'll get some worthless comp pick for Marcum.

 

Im okay without lawrie, that kid is a punk.

[jjfanec]

I hate to be negative here, but we essentially gave away Brett Lawrie for...what? Marcum's total WAR while in Milwaukee was 4.2.

 

When Lawrie starts lighting it up...and he will...the trade for Marcum is going to look worse than it does now. We got a good pitcher for a year and a half. The Jays potentially got their third baseman for the next decade plus.

 

At least we got something good when we lost Greinke. We'll get some worthless comp pick for Marcum.

 

I would have liked to get a pitcher we could have under control longer than Marcum but we didnt. But the love affair with Lawrie on this board is over the top some times. He may turn out to be a stud, but last season he was below average with the bat for a 3B and his numbers where actually very similar to his first year in the minors. He hit a ton in 2011 both in the minors and his call-up but his other three season he has looked much more pedestrian than hall of fame at the plate. I know he is young and could grow into hitting for power. Of all the guys we traded Odorizzi is the only one that I really worry about. Maybe it is Lawrie's attitude that sours my opinion of him but on a purely numbers basis he wasnt much last year at the plate

[Invader3K]

Lawrie may turn out to be an All-Star yet, but without Marcum this team may well have not made the NLCS in 2011. There are always trade offs, but I wouldn't give up those memories for anything.

[Warning Track Power]

Lawrie may turn out to be an All-Star yet, but without Marcum this team may well have not made the NLCS in 2011. There are always trade offs, but I wouldn't give up those memories for anything.

Amen. As much as I would love to have Lawrie and his potential in our lineup for the next decade, I would rather have taken the sure thing 2011 NL Central championship, Morgan's walkoff Game 5 hit and the NLCS appearance.

[ewitkows]

Wow he signed for only 4 million. Missed the boat on this one

[Warning Track Power]

His arm must be shot and the ptential for another injury must be a real cause for concern. That is almost half of what he made last year.

[Roderick]

Wow he signed for only 4 million. Missed the boat on this one

 

Maybe he signed there for $4M, but wouldn't sign here for that. Probably asked for much more from the Brewers at some point and would have to eat his pride to go back and take the much less offer.

 

Otherwise, yes, I agree I would have taken the $4M risk/reward on Marcum for the Brewers. Assuming he was ready at the start of the year, even if he only gave us half of a season, that might have been the right time that one of the minor league options would have been ready.