New York Mets Deal For J.J. Putz Makes Jim Hendry Look Good

On Wednesday night, a three team deal went down that involved a former All Star pitcher.

No, not Jake Peavy.

The New York Mets consummated a deal from which they acquired young outfielder (and former White Sox farmhand) Jeremy Reed, middle relieve Sean Green, and former Seattle closer JJ Putz.

What did it take for the Mets to get these three players? First base prospect Mike Carp, pitcher Aaron Heilman, outfielder Endy Chavez, and reliever Joe Smith.

Reed, a centerfielder, figures to perhaps push Ryan Church for playing time as a corner outfielder for the Mets, since Carlos Beltran is in center. Green will add another average arm to the Mets bullpen.

A case could be made that Reed and Green are nothing but filler in this deal. Last year, the Mets failed for the second consecutive season to make it into October. This year, their bullpen may have cost them both a post season birth and Johan Santana the Cy Young Award.

So within a matter of hours after signing Francisco Rodriguez to close games, the Mets traded four players for a setup man in Putz.

Now rewind to a few weeks ago. Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry traded a highly regarded prospect in Jose Ceda to the Florida Marlins for closer Kevin Gregg. Straight up, one-for-one. Done deal.

While Hendry has been hearing rumors about a trade needing two or three (or four) teams to happen, hindsight is now making him look like a genius.

In the wake of allowing Kerry Wood to leave via free agency, Hendry must have recognized this winter's market was soft at the end of the bullpen, with perhaps KRod, Wood, Trevor Hoffman, and Brian Fuentes being the only legitimate closers available. In the trade market, the only recognizable name that figured to be out there was Putz.

But Hendry quickly got a deal done for Gregg.

Both Gregg and Putz dealt with injuries in 2008 that impacted their production, but each has shown the ability to close games in dominant fashion. While Hendry was able to unload just one prospect for Gregg, Mets GM Omar Minaya needed to get the Cleveland Indians involved and trade three players off his major league roster, not to mention one of his top prospects, to get Putz, now a middle reliever with equal, perhaps less, value than Gregg.