RHP Maine picks Rockies over Phillies
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Former Mets pitcher John Maine will not be joining the Phillies on a minor league contract.
The veteran righthander has agreed to a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies, a source said Thursday afternoon.
As of Wednesday, there was a possibility that Maine would end up signing with the Phillies. The club is hardly in need of starting pitching, but if Maine was willing to sign a minor league contract, the Phillies likely would have been open to adding the depth he would provide. Agent Rex Gary, who has a close relationship with the Phillies, said Wednesday afternoon that the club was still a possibility for Maine.
Maine's best season for the Mets was 2007 when he made 32 starts and went 15-10 with a 3.91 earned run average.
While his win total declined and his ERA rose each of the last 3 years, he consistently allowed fewer hits than innings pitched despite shoulder problems that landed him on the disabled list each season.
He had season-ending surgery last July. Coincidentally, it was Phillies team doctor Michael Ciccotti who performed the procedure to repair a small tear in his shoulder capsule.
He became a free agent when the Mets failed to offer him arbitration.