The Mets are expected within the hour to announce their part in a three-team, multiplayer swap meet that will make former Mariners JJ Putz, Sean Green and Jeremy Reed Mets.
If I have this scored right, Aaron Heilman, Endy Chavez and prospect Mike Carp are en route to Seattle and Joe Smith is off to Cleveland, which is collecting various other jetsam from Emerald City. The prize in this deal is Putz, who presumably takes over Heilman’s role in the 8th inning and hopefully doesn’t inherit his demeanor: You know he’s every bit the closer Francisco Rodriguez is. Green is tall right-handed reliever, who’s death on righties, clobbered by lefties and a ground-ball machine a la the departed Bazooka Joe; and Reed, like Chavez when he arrived back in New York, is a faltering one-time leadoff prospect with a noodle bat but good defensive skills.
So with the roles aligned, seems it’s only a matter of having parted with Carp. ( Edited to add, also Jason Vargas and about 50 more low-level prospects too I see now, not sure where they’re off to).
As for the impact on jersey numbers, 48, 35 and 10 are set free. Putz wears No. 20, which is available if coach Howard Johnson gives the OK (he will); Green wore54 (he’ll be dressed in something lower, let’s say 35) and Reed wore 8(uncomfortably unissued now for 8 years). Put Reed in 10, Johnson in 54 and we’ll have ourselves a multiplayer uni-swap as well.
Thanks to all the contributors who kept up to date round the clock on the Rodriguez Jersey Watch — he’s apparently gone with 75 as suspected. A Met first.
Submitted by gored82 on Thu, 12/11/2008 – 12:27am.
Why not issue 8 to Reed?
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Sean Green is not to be
Submitted by Dave Mackey (not verified) on Thu, 12/11/2008 – 6:46am.
Sean Green is not to be confused with the OTHER Shawn Green, who, coincidentally, also wore 20.
The Mets website won’t let me make a custom Putz jersey! I wonder why?
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Vargas and two other minor
Submitted by Ranjrz5 on Thu, 12/11/2008 – 9:25am.
Vargas and two other minor leaguers to Seattle…
I’d keep HoJo in 20 and give Green something else… and Reed should have #8. Keeping it out of circulation for Carter is silly.
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Any chance Murphy will
Submitted by Mr. Met (not verified) on Thu, 12/11/2008 – 1:17pm.
Any chance Murphy will switch to Damion Easley’s old #3? T
Two facts may influence Murphy to make the switch, now that Easley no longer holds that number. First, Murphy played in #3 during the Arizona Fall League. And second, he has always viewed himself as a three-hole hitter. I recall reading that when asked by college or minor league coach to describe his position — presumably, his defensive position, as all of his teammates answered in that way — Murphy said, “I bat third.”
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I feel that the number 8 is
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 12/16/2008 – 1:27am.
I feel that the number 8 is waiting retirement for Gary Carter once he reconciles with the team. When a Hall of Famer plays a significant portion of his career for a team they usually eventually get there number retired. As Carter has closed in and eventually entered the Hall the last 8 years, the number went unissued.
Pwrhaps this is why nobody wore 47 last year in honor of Glavine.
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Carter played 4 full seasons
Submitted by Ranjrz5 on Tue, 12/16/2008 – 4:11pm.
Carter played 4 full seasons and 1/3 of another with the Mets… I don’t think that’s a significant portion of his 19-year career. Three players and three coaches wore #8 since Carter left. If the Mets actually were planning to retire #8, I’d think it would have already happened by now.
He went into the Hall as an Expo and Montreal retired his number (although Washington has re-issued it).
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Putz is going to wear #40.
Submitted by Dave Mackey (not verified) on Thu, 12/18/2008 – 5:41pm.
Putz is going to wear #40. So much for Ambiorix Burgos.
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Vargas and two other minor
Submitted by xRapid search (not verified) on Thu, 01/08/2009 – 4:22am.
Vargas and two other minor leaguers to Seattle…
I’d keep HoJo in 20 and give Green something else… and Reed should have #8. Keeping it out of circulation for Carter is silly.
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Theyshould issue 8 to reed
Submitted by Seattle Jill (not verified) on Wed, 01/14/2009 – 6:44pm.
Theyshould issue 8 to reed
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I second that.
Submitted by Taller (not verified) on Sun, 05/17/2009 – 7:10am.
I second that.