John Maine, according to Joel Sherman, will have a contract tendered to him by the New York Mets.
Maine, who pitched in only 15 games last season for the Mets, avoided arbitration last season with a one-year, $2.6 million contract. He has struggled with shoulder injuries the past few years, pitching in 40 games in 2008 and 2009 combined.
I like Maine and think he’s a quality pitcher, but am worried about his durability. If this is another year where we can only count on half a season from him, is it worth the deal, no matter the price?
After ‘09, I hope it’s become apparent to the Mets organization that they need to both plan for injuries and bring in players who have had a track record of staying healthy and staying on the field.
For Maine, though, I think it’s worth the risk. He likely won’t make more than $3 million due to his injuries and if they can keep a guy with this talent for only $1 million more than Alex Cora, I’m for it.