Mantei pitched in pain throughout the year

[Lefty]

This from Peter Gammons article:

Arizona's hopes of moving Matt Mantei's contract along with Curt Schilling and/or Junior Spivey may not be possible. Mantei picked up his $7 million option for next season, then revealed he pitched in pain with a bad shoulder from May through the end of the season. With his medical history, no other club may be willing to take him on.


After reading this I think Mantei pitched in pain because he was afraid he would lose his closer's role to Valverde. This showed me he was thinking more of himself than the team because he should of stayed on the DL until he was completely healthy. He got lucky he did not seriously hurt himself and that the team did not make the playoffs.

 

[AZZenny]

Pardon my skepticism, but I wonder if he SAID this to put the kabosh on trade talk. He said he likes it here, wants to stay here. Now on the other hand, I have had weight-lifter friends with AC pain and they say it is excruciating, but they all just trucked through it.

Pain or not, if he's pitching well around the trade deadline next season, unless we're also looking pretty strong, I still think he'd be movable (to save a few million). Right now, I bet Boston would give a ton of dough to have him.

 

[DWKB]

Originally posted by AZZenny
Right now, I bet Boston would give a ton of dough to have him.

First Zona and now you. There is no way a smart org like BOS would trade for an oft-injured overpaid closer like Mantei. BOS got rid of Uggie Urbina for that exact reason.

 

[schillingfan]

Originally posted by Zona90
After reading this I think Mantei pitched in pain because he was afraid he would lose his closer's role to Valverde. This showed me he was thinking more of himself than the team because he should of stayed on the DL until he was completely healthy. He got lucky he did not seriously hurt himself and that the team did not make the playoffs.

Yes, but he pitched great after he came back from the DL. So he didn't hurt the team.

It depends on the cause of the pain, don't you think?

 

[AZZenny]

First Zona and now you.
Jeez, DWKB, no need to get insulting!!!

There is no way a smart org like BOS would trade for an oft-injured overpaid closer like Mantei. BOS got rid of Uggie Urbina for that exact reason.

I was saying that RIGHT THIS MINUTE, Boston would give an arm and a leg to have Mantei for the playoffs. OR Urbina. You really don't think so? (But then, you aren't from New England, are you? Now there's an amusing thought - Red Sox could start toying with all the newly attached stat-heads as they have with the Faithful for so many decades. Repeat after me: "THEY WILL BREAK YOUR HEARTS!")

I agree they wouldn't trade for someone like that at such high price in the off-season (unless their bullpen implodes even more spectacularly than usual this post-season and the Nation lynches Epstein) but saying IF Mantei's looking good around the trade deadline next season, I don't think it's totally unrealistic to think there are some contending teams (if we're not) that would pay the rest of his salary and maybe toss in a prospect to have him till the end of the year. I do think moving him in the off-season just got exponentially less likely thanks to his pain comments.

 

[moviegeekjn]

Originally posted by AZZenny
Pardon my skepticism, but I wonder if he SAID this to put the kabosh on trade talk. He said he likes it here, wants to stay here.

The only LOGICAL reason to reveal such a thing is to guarantee that he'll stay put, given his contract situation. Do you think he'd say this if he had no guaranteed 7-8 M deal for next season?

Mantei's no dummy and realizes that his market value is no where near the money he's getting this coming year, so he's due for a major pay cut after next season no matter where he ends up.... but since he likes life in Arizona, the most effective way to guarantee another full season in the desert is to bring those injury concerns to the attention of potential closer shoppers.

 

[Phill11]

Valverde>>Mantei ANY DAY!