Mets get JJ Putz

by brentash on Dec 11, 2008 12:31 AM CST

n a huge 3 way 12 player deal the Mets end up with JJ Putz, and the Mariners end up with a bag full of Carp. Seriously it must really suck to be a Mariners fan right now. The rest of the division keeps looking better and they just gave away one of the few good players they have.

I guess that the Mets are going to use Putz as a setup man because they just paid a boatload of money to get K-Rod. Maybe they would be interested in CJ after missing out on Street, they could just go all the closers from the AL West last year.

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Putz

When healthy, he is dominant. Looking at the return package the Mariners got, I wonder if there was any thought from JD & Co. to look into him.

He would immediately become the best pitcher in our bullpen, and our 2nd/3rd level prospects would yield a greater return to the Mariners than the garbage they received from the Mets. If they would have been willing to trade within the division (questionable), we should have at least kicked the tires.

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by Plum on Dec 11, 2008 12:48 AM CST reply actions

Mariners got Gutierrez from the Tribe.

The kid’s got promise, even if he hasn’t shown much at the bigs.

Heilman needed a scenery change, he really ain’t that bad…seriously. Chavez isn’t really much, pinch-runner and occasional OF with good D and limited bad.

Either way, I hope the Mets find another way to choke it because just like last year, Mets fans are crowing again.

by jonthefon on Dec 11, 2008 5:17 AM CST up reply actions

package

METS GET:
(from Mariners)
J.J. Putz
RHP Sean Green

(from Indians)
OF Jeremy Reed

MARINERS GET:
(from Mets)
Aaron Heilman
Endy Chavez
Maikel Cleto
Ezequiel Carrera
Jason Vargas
Mike Carp

(from Indians)
Franklin Gutierrez

INDIANS GET:
(from Mets)
Joe Smith

(from Mariners)
Luis Valbuena

Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.

by knockoutking on Dec 11, 2008 8:54 AM CST up reply actions

Wow

the Mets have some empty lockers.

G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....

by t ball on Dec 11, 2008 10:01 AM CST up reply actions

great way to free up space on the 40

by JBImaknee on Dec 11, 2008 11:20 AM CST up reply actions

Reed is from the Mariners, not the Indians

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by BrettJMiller on Dec 13, 2008 8:31 PM CST up reply actions

USSM and LL

Both seem fairly happy with the deal. Mostly, it seems like their unspellable GM has landed some defensive showstoppers.

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by Conjunction on Dec 11, 2008 6:38 AM CST reply actions

Trade

I’m not familiar with every player coming back from the mets, but Heilman isn’t bad and guitierez is a pretty good young player who just needs to hit a little better.

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by rentz on Dec 11, 2008 7:25 AM CST reply actions

Yeah,

he was voted the fielding bible’s best right fielder last year. So if the bat comes around, and he can get on base more than 30% of the time he could be a solid regular.

by BHill on Dec 11, 2008 7:48 AM CST up reply actions

Heilman

It looks like the Mariners are going to give Aaron Heilman his wish and try him as a starter, Braden Looper-style.

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by Andy Seiler on Dec 11, 2008 9:14 AM CST reply actions

WTH mad the Indians do this deal??

Seems like like traded off a serviceable guy (Reed) and a promising one (Gutierrez) and only got back a guy named Smith.

Were they just feeling helpful or what?

by bking on Dec 11, 2008 9:22 AM CST reply actions

Actually

I’m pretty sure Reed came from the Mariners.

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by LSJ on Dec 11, 2008 9:35 AM CST up reply actions

Correct

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by BrettJMiller on Dec 13, 2008 8:32 PM CST up reply actions

I live in NY so watching the mets I've seen Smith quite a bit...

very nice sidewinding reliever. Good stuff from last year- .220 BAA, 52 k’s, in 63 innings…just too many walks. But a 1.29 whip is certainly respectable when most of it is walks.

by slimshadty12 on Dec 11, 2008 3:55 PM CST up reply actions

If Putz and Green were expendable for the M's...

…and it looks like they were, then it’s a pretty decent deal for Seattle. Heilman could work out as a nice starter. Endy Chavez can’t hit (career 75 OPS+), but he’s kind of speedy and has good range in the outfield. Gutierrez has some promise, but you’d really like to see that career .717 OPS kick up a few points.

And you can tell that Omar Minaya is feeling a little bit of heat in NY. Even with Wagner out for the year, he’s managed to shorten the game (for all intents and purposes) to seven innings.

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by ghtd36 on Dec 11, 2008 9:27 AM CST reply actions

so heres my question

whose the closer for the m’s this year now that they move morrow (back) to the rotation?

Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.

by knockoutking on Dec 11, 2008 9:43 AM CST up reply actions

perhaps they'll make a run

at fuentes or hoffman.

by clark on Dec 11, 2008 9:44 AM CST up reply actions

RA DICKEY!!!!

by slash on Dec 11, 2008 3:01 PM CST up reply actions

Jamie Burke.

by jonthefon on Dec 11, 2008 6:23 PM CST up reply actions

I don't think Zduriencik really looks at it like "We need a closer"

I think he looks at it more like “Well now my best reliever will be the 9th inning guy.” We’ve been speculating that it could be Heilman, or Mark Lowe (who had a bad year but has strikeout stuff and was coming off of injury.) Z doesn’t seem to phased to give a guy who doesn’t have “Closer experience” a chance to run with the closer job.

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by BrettJMiller on Dec 13, 2008 8:35 PM CST up reply actions

Heilman

Isn’t Heilman going to get a chance to start?

Mike Grouse Interview - Rangers' Midwest Cross Checker

by Andy Seiler on Dec 13, 2008 8:42 PM CST up reply actions

I like Heilman and Gutierrez for the Ms

but that’s about it. Jeremy Reed is a pretty solid defensive OF as well, so I am not sure how Endy Chavez is a better fit than Reed. It seems like a rebuilding team like the Ms would have preferred to have kept the younger, cheaper player in Reed. The Ms have to hope that Heilman rebounds from his poor year last year and gives them two good seasons, either as a starter or late inning guy, and that Gutierrez finally puts together a solid stretch of play at the big league level. Personally, I would have wanted more for a guy like Putz, but if quality isn’t there, I guess you have to settle for quantity.

The Mets did a good job of selling high on Carp and Vargas, who had a strong AFL.

by clark on Dec 11, 2008 9:43 AM CST reply actions

Chavez is basically what Reed hopes he can become. Endy is a much better defender, and about equal with the bat.

It’s possible Reed could end up as a .280/.330/.400 guy, but those guys are a dime a dozen.

Yesterday's Pants
A blog-thingy about the Mariners and stuff.

by BrettJMiller on Dec 13, 2008 8:36 PM CST up reply actions

Endy's Expense

But you’re going to be paying Endy Chavez $2.05 million for 2009. Why would you want to do that instead of paying Reed the million or so he’s going to get in arbitration?

Mike Grouse Interview - Rangers' Midwest Cross Checker

by Andy Seiler on Dec 13, 2008 8:42 PM CST up reply actions