Evaluating a Trade: The Putz, Green, Reed Acquistions

Back in December, Mets fans had everything to look forward to. They found out that Francisco Rodriguez was going to be their new closer. The signing seemed to solve some of the problems that prevented the Mets from winning the Division last season.

But then, on December 11, a trade happened that nobody saw coming.

The Mets, Mariners and Indians made a three team trade that lined up like this:

Mets Get: JJ Putz, Jeremy Reed and Sean Green from the Mariners
Mariners Get: Aaron Heilman, Endy Chavez, Mike Carp, Maikel Cleto, Jason Vargas and Ezequiel Carrera from the Mets, and Franklyn Gutierrez from the Indians
Indians Get: Joe Smith from the Mets and Luis Valbuena from the Mariners

It seemed like an awful lot to give up the time, and the two pieces that hurt Mets’ fans the most were Endy Chavez and Joe Smith. The young Smith had established himself as a quality situational reliever, and Chavez had endeared himself to the fan base with some unbelievable defense, including possibly the best play in Mets’ history.

But as they all say, in order to get talent, you need to give up talent. The Mets acquired backup outfielder Jeremy Reed, reliever Sean Green, and former closer JJ Putz.

Putz was obviously the main catch in the deal, as he had proved to be a valuable closer for several years in a small market. This gave the Mets some insurance in case K-Rod got injured or needed a day off.

It seemed like a no brainer, but was it worth it?

Let’s take a look at the numbers. Shall we?

Let’s start with the guys the Mets gave up. First, there is Joe Smith, who has appeared in 21 games for Cleveland, and has secured five holds. His ERA is 4.58, which is much higher than it was when he was a member of the Mets.

Next, we have Endy Chavez, who was the victim of a freak play earlier in the year. Chavez was getting the chance to play every day, and was hitting .273 with 17 runs and nine stolen bases in 54 games. It was a nice start for someone who hasn’t had a serious chance to play every day in a while.

But one collision with the shortstop, and his season was halted. He tore his ACL and will be sidelined for quite some time.

Another guy who the Mets gave up was Aaron Heilman, who many fans were happy to see go. Heilman was since traded to Chicago for Ronny Cedeno.

He is having a typical Heilman season. He is 2-3 with a 4.32 ERA. He used to be better, but once Yadier Molina hit that homer off of him in 2006, he never seemed to be the same again.

Mike Carp is a guy the Mets might’ve given a look this season with all of the injury problems, but he was shipped to Seattle in the deal. He has appeared briefly for the Mariners in 2009, last playing in a game on June 28.

Carp only got eight at-bats with the big club this year, but registered three hits and an RBI. He also registered three walks, and is sporting a .538 OBP. I have a feeling that will go down.

The verdict is still out on this one.

The next guy I have to admit I have been shocked by. Jason Vargas has had a phenomenal first half for the woeful Mariners. He has a 3-3 record in 11 starts. At first glance, that wouldn’t be so impressive, but he is also sporting a 3.82 ERA this season.

Considering the fact that he allowed no more than three earned runs in each of his first five starts, his ERA has gone up. Unfortunately for him, only one of those games ended up as a win for him.

If he keeps this behavior up, this will be something that the Mets regret, but don’t count on it.

The minor leaguers I will skip over. Now let’s take a look at what the Mets got in return for these guys.

First, let’s go with Putz. Things started out well for the former star closer this season. As of May 29, he has only allowed one earned run over his last seven appearances, which seemed to show signs that he could be finding some consistency. But then, everything went downhill. He allowed seven earned runs in his last three appearances, and then needed surgery to remove bone spurs.

Putz hasn’t exactly been worth it thus far, but a big performance once he returns can change my mind quickly. I still think they will exercise his option and try to trade him to someone who is desperate for a closer.

Next, we have Jeremy Reed. He has actually been a breath of fresh air compared to what I have expected. We have seen more of him thanks to injuries to the Mets' lineup.

Reed is hitting an impressive .292 and he has played exceptionally in the outfield. Right now, he and Angel Pagan are doing an okay job of holding down the fort in center field until Beltran returns.

The trade of Chavez for Reed has certainly been beneficial to this point.

Last but not least we have Sean Green. He could be compared to a poor man’s Chad Bradford. Remember back in the day where Bradford and Feliciano would pair up to take care of business? Well, that is exactly what the Mets brought Green in to do.

Green has been good at times, but he is another guy that is having a rough patch right now. He went five straight appearances without even giving up a hit. Then, he gave up four in his most recent three appearances. He needs to find a rhythm.

Overall, I think this deal was worth it just to get rid of Aaron Heilman. It is sad when you can’t stand a player that much. Reed has been good, but the Mets need Putz at top form when he returns.

Overall, until that happens, the jury really is still out.