J.J. Runsucker and the Sweet Smell of Failure.
The J.J. Putz era in New York ended yesterday, as the Mets bought out the final year of Putz’s contract. With the last year at 8.6 million dollars and the closer position locked up by Francisco Rodriguez, it is a no-brainer for the Mets to pay the 1 million dollar buyout and avoid locking up a significant sum of money on a questionable set-up man.
How remarkably quickly it seems that one of the potential best 8th and 9th inning combos in baseball has been disassembled. While giving up a seven player package, including major league talent in the form of Aaron Heilman, Jason Vargas, Endy Chavez, and Joe Smith, for a small package centered around an expensive reliever appears to be wrong at a glance, due to the fungibility of those kinds of pitchers, this deal brought things to a whole new level.
...It hit the fan for Putz in 2009. His control problems persisted and his strikeout rate plummeted. Now, as a 32-year old-reliever running a 1.00 K/BB ratio, Putz hits the market again. He just screams reclamation project. It will be interesting to see what team bites.
From the Mets’ standpoint, they sunk 6 million dollars and 7 players into acquiring Putz, Jeremy Reed, and Sean Green. The trade has produced 0.1 WAR from Putz, -0.7 WAR Reed, and -.1 WAR from Green. Unless Reed and Green somehow become productive major leaguers, this trade will go down as historically bad for New York.
The Mets bullpen will likely be a focal point for the front office again this winter. We’ll find out if they’ve learned their lesson.
Repoz
Posted: November 06, 2009 at 04:33 PM |
29 comment(s)
Login to Bookmark
Tags:
mets
Reader Comments and Retorts
Go to end of page
Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.
1. Best Regards, Larry M. Posted: November 06, 2009 at 04:40 PM (#3380657)Edit: Ezeqiuel Carrera is the most valuable property the Mets gave up.
You're telling me - the streets outside my office are choked with them this morning.
Brilliant. Well played, sir.
sounds like Option J
His play was more like Plan 9, though.
O's have a need...
No way they lose 100 games. They're my pick to be the surprisingly decent team of 2010. They won't win anything notable, but they will be relatively respectable.
Not in Maine, you can't.
Makes sense. Putz is from Michigan, and the Tigers need relief help. Not sure how the $$$ match up.
Only if their games are covered by Peter Schmuck.
It would help to be able to speak Mandarin.
Only if their games are covered by Peter Schmuck.
With Dick Pole as pitching coach...
Only if their games are covered by Peter Schmuck.
With Dick Pole as pitching coach...
I hear Rusty Kuntz is looking for work...
Minaya was fired? Fred Wilponzi sold the team?
edit: minor number correction
K-Rod is making 13.75 million a year?!
I must have known that when it happened, but ... good lord, that's a lot of money.
2012:$17.5M option ($3.5M buyout)
2012 option becomes guaranteed with:
55 games finished in 2011, and
100 games finished in 2010-11, and
doctors declare Rodriguez healthy after 2011
Rodriguez receives $3.5M termination buyout if 2012 option does not become guaranteed
There are also performance bonuses based on games finished every year.
Someone wrote a terrific article recently (wish I'd bookmarked it) on the difference between the Mets' and the Angels' 2008-2009 offseasons.
You must be Registered and Logged In to post comments.
<< Back to main