Michael Baron writes this morning exactly what every Met fan is thinking. If Olliver Perez won’t work the Mets, then the Mets don’t need to work with Ollie Perez. For more than two weeks now, Perez has been “working out of the bullpen” to try to fix his problems - whatever those are. He is doing this at the big-league level despite the teams repeated requests to take a minor league assignment. It is his right, as it is part of the contract he signed. The thing is- he isn’t helping anyone by doing it. He isn’t pitching enough to fix anything, and the team can’t trust him in a game situation, even out of the bullpen, because he can’t throw strikes.

This isn’t about Oliver Perez though. This is about his agent, Scott Boras. It usually an agents job to look after the clients best interest, but in the past Boras has used one client’s best interest to benefit another, and that is what I think is going on here. Well, honestly, its not benefiting anyone. But I think Scott Boras is working against the Mets because the Mets mis-handled and seemingly were working against his other client Carlos Beltran back in January when Beltran needed knee surgery. The Mets supposedly discussed voiding Beltran’s contract because of some technical issues in getting the proper permissions for surgery and that made its way into the press. Beltran’s contract wasn’t voided, but the seeming message was that the Mets were in charge. I think this is Scott Boras’s way of letting them know they are not in charge. And who is hurt most by it? Oliver Perez. Well, OK, maybe not hurt most. I think the team is hurt most, now. While Perez had a chance at going to the minor leagues, working out his problems in private and coming back renewed, now all he has a shot of is hoping the team needs a mop-up man. And not even a mop-up man that anyone likes.

You can say what you want about past Mets players- some perhaps playing cards in the clubhouse, some perhaps writing Rap songs with inappropriate lyrics, or wives who were known for making outrageous headlines. But Oliver Perez, with guidance from his agent, is looking like the most selfish player in Mets history.

The thing is, he gets paid whether he goes down to the minors or not. He gets paid if the team designates him for assignment, and perhaps that is what Boras is counting on. Perez will get DFA’d - no team will want to give up a prospect for him- and Perez becomes a free agent.

But unlike Dontrelle Willis, who has been DFA’d in Detroit, Perez will not be welcomed into any clubhouse. While their may be a market for “pitchers with promise” Boras may be overselling this outcome to Perez. And if Boras isn’t pushing this angle, than he really does not have Oliver Perez’s best interest at heart. The problem is it will be several years before Oliver ever realizes it.

Maybe Houston will take him if you pay his salary and give them Daniel Murphy and a couple of very low level prospects. Maybe, but I wouldn’t.