The White Sox and free-agent reliever J.J. Putz have agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract, according to Noah Coslov from MLB.com.
Putz pitched just 29 innings last season for the Mets, who acquired him from the Mariners winter with reliever Sean Green in a three-team trade with Indians for Aaron Heilman, Endy Chavez and Jason Vargas, as well as prospects Mike Carp, Maikel Cleto and Ezequiel Carrera.
…the plan, from what i understand, last winter, was to trade for putz, pick up his option, then, at minimum, look to trade him to a team in need of a closer this off season… however, he came to the team with elbow issues, which he ultimately needed season-ending surgery to repair… and so, to pick up his $9 million option, when he hadn’t thrown a pitch since summer, would have been foolish, especially since it would have been impossible to trade him as well…
What a Putz
to paraphrase the great #17
Omar, GM’s like he’s being chased by a bee.
Where is the plan?
Why do we make these trades?
When does the transition begin?
umm…wow. now its Omar’s fault for his player getting hurt. This is the same pitcher who pitched great in the world baseball classic.
of course it’s his fault!
what are you, a methead?
Another brilliant Mets transaction.
Uhhh…didn’t we “acquire” Johan Santana 2 years ago? THAT was brilliant. Can we wait the storm out and see what happens? Met’s Fan=pessimism. Can we break that out of our fanbase? Probably not, but we can try.
What does that have to do with Putz????? Because I said “another”? You really want to do a bad vs. good transaction tally over the histiry of this club?
That’s “history.”
This is why I hate when we sign guys like Alex Cora for 2 million. Instead of signing him why not sign putz for 3 million. Who do the Mets plan on bridging the gap from our starters to Krod? Santana is the only guy who can actually hand frankie the ball.
Yeah…I would have liked a flyer on him for $3 mil. Still…after tomorrow there may be a ton of other guys that are non-tendered. Octavio Dotel is out there now, DJ Carrasco is expected to be non-tendered, we should be OK.
true, things could get interesting this wknd with some new available players.
we are constantly handing replacement level players 5-10 times replacement level money. we’d have a better team if we sprung for 2 more all-stars and rounded out the team with AAAA players.
agreed; 9 Mil was too much, but $3 M was worth the flyer on Putz.
We didn’t have that option. The team option on Putz was for $9 mill. Get it? Had he been on the Mets again next year, it would have been because we picked up his option @ 9 MILLION. We opted NOT to retain him so he is now able to sign with CHI for $3.
was he not a free agent after we opted not to retain him?
I’m not saying there was mutual interest, but there certainly was an option to go after him.
Thanks for nothing ya Putz.
9 ****ing players for sean green. Oh boy.
You’d thibnk the guy would show some class and sign cheap with a team that staked so much on him, but w/e. Enjoy him and his million excuses, Chicago
Don’t 4get Jeremy Reed :)
To be honest, I think most agreed with this trade when it happened. Sure Putz’ elbow was damaged, but I think this would be a deal that no one won.
The only way we would have come out on top would have been to save Heilmann and trade him to the Cubs for Jason Marquis. Instead, he goes to the Rockies, where he excelled and Putz went to the DL.
Mets seem to have a problem with injured elbows. See Victor Zambrano
yeah exactly…majority of met fans loved the deal. I know I did. I had visions of grandeur of Putz and Krod in the bullpen.
It was a good trade. You can’t criticize this trade now because he got hurt. On paper, at the time, it was a good trade. End of story.
Hell, people wanted to get rid of Heilman for a bag of balls this time last year so everyone needs to calm down a bit.
From what I recall, Mets fans were salivating at the possibilty of Wagner to Putz to K-Rod come August 2009. Ah, what might have been .
Yes, we all liked this deal when it went down and were very happy to see the end of Heilman. The only downside was losing Endy really.
I hear ya X, Not to mention we lost a young Joe Smith too.
Ughh, why were we not involved if it was $3 million. Why would the plan be any different than when they first conceived it? You could still have signed him for $3 million, and if he returned to form trade him during the season for a need during the stretch run or some talent. It also would have saved us some face because at least fans would have perceived the signing as a team discount – hence something to justify the trade.
Any thought given to maybe Putz didn’t want to return???
I have a feeling that when all is said and done this offseason, the Mets will have made a splash or two. They have to with all the discontent in their ticket base.
However, doesn’t anyone in Mets Management know how the rules work? First, they give up Wagner and end up with a questionable return when they could have had two very high draft picks. They give up their pick in the Rule 5 draft for $ when there were some interesting players available.Now, they let Putz go and he signs elsewhere for only $3 MIL.
Who hands the ball to Frankie?
I really sometimes wonder if Omar knows how draft compensation works both ways. Like I wonder if he’s ever in the draft room and is wondering when its his turn and his assistants have to keep reminding him we don’t have a 1st or 2nd rounder bc he decided to sign moises alou.
So now the Mets have nothing to show for that trade.
Putz was damaged good when he got here. If our Docs didnt pick up on it during his physical then they are to blame not Omar.It was a good move if he was healthy. Who did we actually lose?
So Putz is classless because the team that traded for him and made him a setup guy didnt pick up his option so he should sign with them for cheap instead of getting the chance to close with a club that will give him the opportunity??
I don’t think the 2 million Cora received had anything to do with the Mets not signing Putz for a similar contract. The guy wants to close
We all loved the move when it was announced last off season/ Did anyone of you fantasy gm’s object then? Some things just dont work out, get over, Putz is still the same good guy that smashed whip cream in the faces of teammates . I wish him well..
We didnt lose anyone buy Joe Smith in the deal for Putz..
Cry me a river, build a bridge and get over it!!!!!!
exactly. I loved the deal at the time. it just didnt work out. But it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Plus Heilman needed to go this time last year.
Putz wont be closing in Chicago though. They have Jenks.
Jenks had a bad year last year there are thoughts that he’ll either be non-tendered or traded and even if they dont do either theres a chance that if his struggles continue they’ll have Jenks set-up Putz.
ugh well whatever
I hope Mike Carp win the MVP
Putz early in 2009 had better stuff than Krod.
Anyone who watched him prior to last year knows we did not see the real JJ Putz.
The guy has wicked stuff and can dominate.
What a shame.
Wish we matched that 3 mil. Woulda been worth it and I agree much better than Cora’s 2m or Reddings 2.5mm last year. Good grief.
Good luck JJ.
totaly agreed, i think (unless the mets know something about his health) that we should have given him another chance…..let him prove he is healthy and then trade him at the deadline or let him continue to pitch
Maybe,just maybe the Mets and their Docs know something that other teamsdont..JJ was hurt during his last season with the M’s and all year with the Mets..Is he fully recovered? Will he ever be as dominant? Who says he wanted to come back to NY.. Chicago’s pen with Bobby Jenks is suspect and a new closer is imminent , JJ is their guy. When he’s on the 30 DL come opening day we will be glad we used that 3 mill on someone a little more durable.
After last year’s injury fest, I just can’t place a ton of faith in the Mets doctors…
He can get three million more in incentives if he closes games and 6 mil is 2 much and he wouldn’t be closing here,
Boy oh boy, did we ever take a bath on this guy? I think that Looper was better than JJ :} LETS GO METS !!!!!
I don’t understand why they didn’t accept his option and trade him…. That way the Mets more out of that trade than Sean Green and Jeremy Reed.
If they picked up his option they would probably have to pay 6 mil of his 9 mil salary to trade him, instead of the 1 mil buy out. And they still wouldn’t get much of a prospect in return for a damaged middle reliever.
Couldnt agree with you more Nate