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March 14, 2007

A Quick Ending

Scribbled by: Jeremy Heit @ 9:27 am | Filed under: Articles

I was a little surprised when I heard the news yesterday that Alay Soler was waived by the Mets. While I wasn’t a huge Soler fan, I figured the Mets would keep him around at least another year in the minors to see what he was capable of bringing them, if anything, in the future.

The Alay Soler Era began in August 2004 when the Mets signed him to a 3 year contract worth 2.8 million dollars. Here is what Jim Duquette had to say at the time of the signing…

“Soler is a big, strong right-hander with a power arm,” Mets general manager Jim Duquette said. “He has command of all of his pitches — fastball, curveball, changeup and a slider. We are happy to add a pitcher with Alay’s international experience.”

Soler had defected in November of 2003 after going 10-4 with a 2.01 ERA for the Cuban national team. Soler was working out at the Mets complex in the Dominican Republic while the contract was being worked out and when he got his visa, he would join the Mets instructional league in Port St. Lucie starting September 19th. The plan sounded wonderful. Unfortunately, it didn’t go quite as planned.

As we all know, Soler had many issues obtaining a visa and did not make it to the United States until November 2005, over a year after he had signed his contract with the Mets. After finally getting to the Mets, Soler started his career as a Met the following April in St. Lucie. And he was dominant.

6 GS, 2-0, 0.60 ERA, 30 IP, 33 K, 9 BB, 13 hits allowed

So, he was promoted to Binghamton, where he was still very good.

3 GS, 1-0, 2.75 ERA, 19.2 IP, 22 K, 3 BB, 16 hits allowed

And after those 3 starts, he was brought up to the major leagues and got his first start on May 24th, giving up 3 runs (2 earned) in 6 innings. After that, his starts were a mixed bag, including a 2 hit shutout vs. Arizona in June and the infamous Sunday night game at Yankee Stadium, where he gave up 8 earned runs. It was his last start as a Met.

It was found out that Soler was hiding a strained calf muscle and he went on the DL. He made three starts late in the year, one in Brooklyn and two in Norfolk.

This year, Soler came into camp as a longshot for the rotation. And he did not help himself at all this spring, as he had been awful giving up 7 runs in 7.2 IP, with 2 K and 5 BB while giving up 10 hits. Despite this, why did the Mets just cut him?

With players like Aaron Sele and Jon Adkins in camp, this seems like an odd decisions. Soler’s upside, even at age 27, is higher than those players. Sending him to Double-A at the end of spring training seems like a better idea than keeping some of the guys in camp around. So, why was it done?

I’m not sure. My best guess is maybe the Mets just don’t feel like things with Soler will ever work out. While Soler’s conditioning was better this year and he came into camp in much better shape, his actual stuff was not there (I’ve always thought his breaking stuff is OK, but that his fastball lacked the pop for him to be a consistent major league pitcher) and the Mets made the decision they were better off without him.

And while I was surprised, I can’t say this move bothers me at all. The Alay Soler era came in with some excitement (maybe partially overrated since he was signed a month after “The Trade Which Will Not Be Mentioned By Name”), but ends as nothing more than a roster cut during Spring Training.

Goodbye Alay Soler. We hardly knew ye.

If you would like to rip apart Jeremy's writing, you can reach him here. He also appreciates any nice comments or questions you might have, but he understands if you would have more fun just tearing into him.

28 Responses to “A Quick Ending”

Comment posted by sheadenizen on March 14, 2007 at 9:53 am (#257762)
Although agreed the move didn’t bother me, I was just curious as to why Soler and not Adkins. Adkins would have been my first choice to be gone! But I guess Omar still needs to justify the trade with SD. It’s the only thing I can figure.
Comment posted by Confused on March 14, 2007 at 9:54 am (#257763)
can the mets resign him for less money, if no one else gives him a shot?
Comment posted by Danny on March 14, 2007 at 9:59 am (#257764)
I think I know where Alay is going… the Washington Nationals.

Soler will probably pass through waivers because no one will want to pay him his full salary. He will definitely get interest from other clubs, and I think he would crack the Nationals starting rotation.
Comment posted by Danny on March 14, 2007 at 10:01 am (#257766)
Actually, the Mets released him, so he doesn’t pass through waivers. Either way, he isn’t coming back here.

can the mets resign him for less money, if no one else gives him a shot?

Technically, yes they could. Won’t happen though.
Comment posted by The Great El Deppo on March 14, 2007 at 10:11 am (#257771)
Good luck alay. We hardly knew ya.
Comment posted by sweetlew on March 14, 2007 at 10:17 am (#257778)
I guess the Mets are fairly confident in the young pitching depth that they have.

There are so many quality young arms that need to get innings at NO and Binghamton, that the org didn’t want to waste the slot on a guy who wasn’t going to pan out.

I am suprised he was so horrible this spring….I mean the guy threw one of the two best starts by any Mets pitcher last year — that shows he can at least get ML hitters out.

Oh well.

Atkins is being given every opportunity to make the team, if he continues to suck, he is gone.

I still think Bell/Ring for Johnson will turn out to be a winner over the course of 2-3 years. I think Johnson will be the perfect 4th outfielder/power bat off the bench, and never underestimate the importance of those guys.

Bell just sucks, we all talk about how Norfolk was a great pitcher’s park and hurt Milo’s hitting numbers, well, on the flip side, it made Bell look a WHOLE lot better than he is (which explains why he always sucked in the ML). Ring just never throws enough strikes to be a dependable lefty.
Comment posted by Lister on March 14, 2007 at 10:30 am (#257786)
He’s a perfect fit the Nationals, isn’t he?
Comment posted by NJmetsfan on March 14, 2007 at 11:12 am (#257825)
see ya Soler. He stunk anyway
Comment posted by NJmetsfan on March 14, 2007 at 11:15 am (#257831)
I mean the guy threw one of the two best starts by any Mets pitcher last year — that shows he can at least get ML hitters out.

Vs the reeling Dbacks with a roid scandal at their front door.
Comment posted by Eli on March 14, 2007 at 11:43 am (#257846)
I found it understandable that Soler was dumped though I felt sad for him. I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if he made it start playing baseball in the USA immedately after he fled Cuba. Or what would have happened had he not strained his calf muscle. perhaps it would have been a success story. Anyway, I hope some other team picks him up and he does well.

I still think Bell/Ring for Johnson will turn out to be a winner over the course of 2-3 years. I think Johnson will be the perfect 4th outfielder/power bat off the bench, and never underestimate the importance of those guys.

Sweetlew, I think that Johnson could even be a very good starting outfielder - hit about 25 home runs and steal 20 bases. But I don’t think your prediction will come true. The reason being, Omar will probably trade him for some 34 year old has been pitcher. Truth is, if Alou and Green were both to go down, I think that Johnson/Milledge/Chavez will be an upgrade.
Comment posted by Future on March 14, 2007 at 12:26 pm (#257878)
Bell is kicking ass for the Padres thus far.

Padres pitchers only need to go 5, then Ring-Bell-Linebrink-Hoffman.

That’s 4 guys as good as any in the league. I think the Mets pen is better, but the Padres look solid.
Comment posted by ed in westchester on March 14, 2007 at 12:41 pm (#257893)
Future - let’s see how Bell does in the regular season. He’s had decent springs in the past iirc.
Comment posted by Thomas on March 14, 2007 at 12:41 pm (#257894)
Bell and Ring as good as anyone in the league. That’s really pushing it.
Comment posted by argonbunnies on March 14, 2007 at 12:51 pm (#257902)
I think Johnson will be the perfect 4th outfielder/power bat off the bench

That’d be cool, but I see no reason to expect it, given his cruddy minor league hitting stats. And 4th OF isn’t something we lacked.

Bell just sucks, we all talk about how Norfolk was a great pitcher’s park and hurt Milo’s hitting numbers, well, on the flip side, it made Bell look a WHOLE lot better than he is

Y’know what REALLY altered the appearance of Bell’s effectiveness? His .390 BABIP with the Mets the last 2 years. That is ABSURDLY unlucky. If he maintains his K rate, there’s no way Heath won’t be at least an avg reliever.
Comment posted by argonbunnies on March 14, 2007 at 12:56 pm (#257909)
Doesn’t it seem like the org MUST have been pissed at Soler? I mean, if you’re gonna lose him and eat his salary regardless, you might as well at least get a little something back in a trade. But they wouldn’t even keep him around long enough to make that happen.

If you can get an A-Hern for a backup catcher, you should get someone for a warm body that can throw the ball over the plate.
Comment posted by Eli on March 14, 2007 at 1:29 pm (#257969)
’know what REALLY altered the appearance of Bell’s effectiveness? His .390 BABIP with the Mets the last 2 years. That is ABSURDLY unlucky. If he maintains his K rate, there’s no way Heath won’t be at least an avg reliever.

Agreed about Bell. I think the Mets will be sorry that they traded away Bell (he’ll fit in better in SD as a roller blader)….and Owens (he’ll fit in better in FLA as a pre-med)…

Too bad Hieptas (is that his name) didn’t try pitching a few years earlier. It is probably too late.

Park and Sele are upgrades from Lima and Gonzalez, but they are still washed up pitchers.
Comment posted by Eli on March 14, 2007 at 1:33 pm (#257977)
Doesn’t it seem like the org MUST have been pissed at Soler? I mean, if you’re gonna lose him and eat his salary regardless, you might as well at least get a little something back in a trade.

I think the Mets “only” had to pay him 100K if they cut him. That’s peanuts (=significant portion of Heilman’s salary).
Comment posted by The Great El Deppo on March 14, 2007 at 1:34 pm (#257979)
Florida has so much faith in what they’ve seen from Owens, they wanna trade for Jorge Julio to be their closer.
Comment posted by Eli on March 14, 2007 at 1:51 pm (#258010)
Florida has so much faith in what they’ve seen from Owens, they wanna trade for Jorge Julio to be their closer.

Hasn’t Owens done well so far?
Comment posted by The Great El Deppo on March 14, 2007 at 1:53 pm (#258016)
yea i think Owens hasnt allowed a run in 3-4 inngs or so, not 100% sure.

making the desired Jorge Julio acquisition that much stranger.
Comment posted by argonbunnies on March 14, 2007 at 1:54 pm (#258018)
Owens has yet to allow a run.

I think the Marlins’ pursuit of Julio is less a comment on Owens/Tankersley/Lindstrom/Gregg and more about wanting someone with prior closing experience. A lot of teams think that way.
Comment posted by argonbunnies on March 14, 2007 at 1:56 pm (#258024)
On Soler, Peterson said, “The inconsistencies were consistent.” Not that that’s going to make them cut Sosa…
Comment posted by The Great El Deppo on March 14, 2007 at 2:12 pm (#258052)
Sosa hasnt pitched his way to deserving a cut the way Soler did.
Comment posted by NJmetsfan on March 14, 2007 at 3:42 pm (#258268)
Cut Sosa, Adkins and Park
Comment posted by metsfansince62 on March 14, 2007 at 11:14 pm (#258491)
According to the AP release

He [Soler] had a one-year contract for 2007 that would have paid him $826,675 in the majors and $620,000 in the minors and will receive 30 days termination pay: $101,639.

While the Mets may have been fed up with his performance remember he was signed by Omar’s predecessor and there is no such thing as “chicken feed” when it comes to the Wilpons and money..ie
Comment posted by tom totem on March 15, 2007 at 12:29 am (#258522)
He [Soler] had a one-year contract for 2007 that would have paid him $826,675 in the majors and $620,000 in the minors and will receive 30 days termination pay: $101,639.

The contract receives termination pay. Whatever they’re paying editors at the AP, it’s too much.
Comment posted by tom totem on March 15, 2007 at 12:30 am (#258523)
Go Milledge.
Comment posted by Ellis Dee on March 15, 2007 at 1:10 am (#258528)
I don’t buy that the contract was the reason they cut him now. They still had 2 more weeks to see if he could turn things around. It was only the first 2 weeks of ST which is pretty useless as a gauge of ML performance.

Anyway, they could have payed him the same termination pay 2 weeks from now all the same and had more to go on. Wilomar usually waits till the last moment to make their decisions. That’s why I think there is more to it than meets the eye. Like maybe he tied Duaner up in his basement and druged him to make him late for practice? Hmmm, just a thought….