Mets’ back-end rotation problems no surprise

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All they need back there is someone who's going to eat innings and keep them in most games. Come on guys...

Plan B was supposed to be Mike Pelfrey. I’m tired of running him down. Of course he’s supremely talented. All former No. 1 picks are. I’m sure he’d seem like a god if we watched him warm up at the local diamond. But he’s not going to be a capable starter with one effective big-league pitch. Pelfrey lacks big-league breaking stuff. Perhaps he can develop a complementary offering in relief as did Aaron Heilman. What we’ve seen from him this spring is significant because he remains unable to miss bats.

Jorge Sosa is a long reliever on a team that isn’t likely to need one 80 percent of the time. So I anoint him swing man. For some reason, Sosa never gets that 30 percent bump we forecast for most starters-turn-relievers. Sosa was 4.59 in 14 starts last year. That, I’m afraid, will seem like Cy Young compared to Pelfrey. And it should be good enough.

You can’t reasonably project Nelson Figueroa, who hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2004. Discount the spring because guys like him are pitching for their lives and presumably hit the ground running in the spring, facing hitters just trying to get dialed in on fastballs. Look at his 2006 minor league season, where Figueroa put up Sosa numbers at Triple-A. That portends big-league disaster.

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Looks like Vargas could be the #5...

The 29-year-old right hander was released yesterday by the Brewers in a salary dump, and Mets GM Omar Minaya said his club will have a strong interest now that Vargas reportedly has cleared waivers.

“That’s a good name,” Minaya said. “We’re going to take a close look at him.”

The Mets are considering all fifth-starter options because Orlando Hernandez and Mike Pelfrey, who will split one more start this week, have been flops.

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