The Mets claimed reliever Manny Acosta off waivers from the Braves, tweets MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Acosta, 29 in May, posted a 4.34 ERA, 7.7 K/9, and 4.6 BB/9 in 37.3 innings for the Braves last year. He was better in his 27.3 minor league innings, but walked too many there as well.
Acosta throws a mid-90s fastball and racked up groundballs in his better years. He even served as the Braves' closer in early '08 when Rafael Soriano went down. Hamstring and shoulder injuries cut that season short, however. The Mets snagged a quality arm from their division rivals, but now they must help his stuff translate to results.
Guest 2873
Interesting. Manny Acosta has the ability to pitch quality innings. I’m excited to see him pitch for the Mets!
East Coast Bias
How are you always the first to post something in a thread? It’s quite baffling!
Guest 2874
Quick Hands my friend, quick hands.
bbxxj
Acosta is not capable of quality innings. He can get people out in spurts but he gets blown up way too often.
You can’t be excited about everyone.
Guest 2876
Sure I can.
bbxxj
I don’t mean to be rude at all. I love getting excited about players and teams about this time of year and I look on the bright side of everything. I like the fact that you are so enthusiastic and love the game so much as its how more people should enjoy the game.
However for each great or good player there is an equally bad or awful player that the better player is beating and the same goes for each team. For every great team there has to be a team that is consistantly losing. In my view, frow watching Acosta pitch for quite a while and looking at his stats, he just doesn’t have the ability to locate his fastball consistantly or have good enough secondary stuff to keep players from expecting his, albiet excellent, fastball.
icedrake523
You’ll wish Acosta was closing once you see Billy Wagner attempt to do the same.
J
How so? Did I miss when Acoata has even been half the pitcher let lone closer that Wagner is?
I wish the Braves would’ve chosen someone else as the closer, but to pretend Acosta is even in his league is fantasy. His nickname is Manny I’ll Cost Ya for a reason.
icedrake523
Oh, no. Acosta is not in Wagner’s league. Wagner is in Acosta’s. Watching Wagner try to close a game will make you want to slit your wrists. It’s NEVER easy with him. He always finds a way to make it interesting. And just wait until August or September when he’s gassed because he relied too much on his fastball the first two-thirds of the year.
J
I get that you hate the guy for blowing leads while with you. But Acosta is a AAAA pitcher & Wagner is nowhere in his league of suckage. Have actually watched Acosta pitch a lot?
Like I said I wish Wren would’ve picked another closer or stuck with Soriano. I recall Wagner blowing a fews leads against my Braves over the years. Now add his old age & recent arm troubles into the mix, I don’t for see things ending well with him this year.
J
I get that you hate the guy for blowing leads while with you. But Acosta is a AAAA pitcher & Wagner is nowhere in his league of suckage. Have actually watched Acosta pitch a lot?
Like I said I wish Wren would’ve picked another closer or stuck with Soriano. I recall Wagner blowing a fews leads against my Braves over the years. Now add his old age & recent arm troubles into the mix, I don’t for see things ending well with him this year.
coolstorybro222
He was basically the Puerto Rican John Rocker.
coolstorybro222
He was basically the Puerto Rican John Rocker.
lewisjsl
as a brave fan….thank you.
drumzalicious
indeed
Jake Humphrey
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Manny’s got elite stuff, he’s just about as smart as a bag of rocks. Its like he can’t get over the fact that he can throw really hard. You’ll see him pump one in there around 95, then he’ll turn and look at the gun reading and try harder on the next pitch. WHAM! 97MPH in there, 120MPH out of the park.
Bravoboy10
He’s got closer stuff, but the mound presence and confidence of a 7 year old. Anyone ever gets his mindset right he’ll save 40 games. If I’m his agent I beg who ever Dave Duncan is coaching for a few years from now to bring him in. I’ll always remember him though for giving up a walkoff homer to Jay Bruce.
Guest 2875
Jay Bruce’s first Major League Home Run right?
Bravoboy10
yep, it was his 3rd game since being called up or something like that
paulyicecubes
Manny is one of those pitchers that just drives you nuts.
Jake Humphrey
And to drink. A lot.
danielpwnz
The Mets claimed the Manager of the Indians? *rimshot*
goldenglove002
Normally I would wish him well, but I sure hope is himself in New York. He was jsut awful most of the time.
jcrabtree7
Whaaa?! The Braves finally got rid of him?! Thank goodness, although I’m surprised he didn’t end up in Kansas City like all other Braves rejects
VinnyG917
I guess this is a decent claim. They Mets could use some depth, if this even counts. From what everyone said he can’t keep his head in the game. If so he is right along with Perez and Pelfrey for not being “all there” while on the mound. If nothing else, this might keep Manuel from bringing Meija up pre-maturely and thats a good thing.
alxn
I think I am one of the more optimistic Braves fans when it comes to Acosta. He was really good in 2008 until Bobby decided to use him in every single game and he fell apart and he wasn’t terrible last year. This seems like a waste of talent, but there isn’t much else the Braves could do. I don’t see why Braves fans would be excited over this. Then again I also remember Braves fans calling for the heads of Soriano and Gonzalez multiple times each last year, even though they were two of the better RPs in the league.
J
He not good, & his lack of control is not getting any better. But to keep the disaster that is Marek over Acosta makes zero sense. Wren needs to accept he got screwed in the Tex/Angels deal & move on.
atlbraves312
LOL….
Hellobrooklyn 2
This is the problem with the Mets.. We think everyone is a diamond in the rough and just needs a little polishing. Our pitching staff is filled with guys like this Perez, Pelfrey , Maine , Green , Parnell, Nieve, even John Niese and now Acosta These guys aren’t elite players, their AAAA guys.
Guest 2922
Why do all Mets fans hate Mike Pelfrey?
He’s Roy Halladay compared to all the other guys you just mentioned!
Finding diamonds in the rough is Minaya’s philosophy(add Freddy Garcia and Livan Hernandez). Thats why he makes all those small trades every off season). He clearly hasn’t learned from his mistakes after giving up Brian Bannister, Heath Bell, and Matt Lindstrom.
Guest 2922
Why do all Mets fans hate Mike Pelfrey?
He’s Roy Halladay compared to all the other guys you just mentioned!
Finding diamonds in the rough is Minaya’s philosophy(add Freddy Garcia and Livan Hernandez). Thats why he makes all those small trades every off season). He clearly hasn’t learned from his mistakes after giving up Brian Bannister, Heath Bell, and Matt Lindstrom.
mets6986
I think Acosta is yet another dumb pick up by the mets. I’d much rather see Mejia out there than Acosta even if Mejia isn’t quite ready.
FineHamAbounds
“Quality arm” is not how I’d describe Manny I’ll-Cost-Ya. The game is gone when he goes in. His presence on the mound was Bobby Cox raising a white flag and throwing in the towel.
NYBravosFan10
a GREAT pickup by the Mets!!!!! It really keeps up their reputation of signing useless players!!!!
Qabalist
Mets are making big moves.
marksawx
I misread the headline quickly and thought it said “Mets Claim Manny Acta”
I was supremely confused for a second
metsfan86
Hey maybe Acosta can pitch long relief when ollie gets shelled giving up 7 runs in 1 1/3.