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News: White Sox sign J.J. Putz

by Matthew Cerrone on December 11th, 2009 at 2:06 pm

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