Mando Bizzarro

Sure, it might have been time to turn the page on Armando Benitez 49, but despite all the blabber, dealing the disgraced but talented closer for a handful of low-level Yankee rejects is at best a wash; and at worst, fails to hurt the Yankees in some meaningful way. MBTN disapproves of trades where money and scapegoating trump fair exchanges of talent and can’t help but think The Duke aimed too low and shot too soon on this one. We’d like to wish the beleaguered Benitez better luck in his new role but can’t; leaving us in peculiar position of siding with the army of irritating numbskulls who believe in the Choke Fairy (and presumably her fair stepsisters Aura and Mystique). Guh!

The Replacements

20With big-league roster spots suddenly available, the Mets began the second half of the season tonight in Atlanta by adding AAA outfielder Prentice Redman and infielder Jorge Velandia to the roster. Redman looks to make his big-league debut in the No. 20 jersey recently left behind by Jeromy Burnitz; Velandia, who was up briefly in 2000 and 2001 wearing No. 11, is now wearing No. 13, which until last year looked like it might eventually have been retired for Edgardo Alfonzo. The Mets in the meantime may have seen the last of charismatic outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo 5, who was designated for assignment. Shinjo was banished to Norfolk late last month.

Burnoutz

The Mets today sent Jeromy Burnitz, his gigantic swing, and his team-leading 18 home runs, to the LA Dodgers for three minor leaguers. It’s a bittersweet parting considering Burnitz for all his desperate struggles managed in his second go-round to elevate No. 20 past No. 18 in the Mets’ all-time home-run-by-uniform-number battle (it now stands 350-338 for 20). While it’s possible the prospects he commanded work out, the short-term violence it does to the 2003 Met offense is best not to consider without a few beers. Good luck, Nitz!

Over the weekend, the Mets activated Mike Stanton 32 and demoted Jaime Cerda 43.

A.L. to D. L.

The Mets got around to placing rapidly aging lefty Al Leiter 22 on the disabled list. To take his place on the roster, they have called Edwin Almonte from Norfolk and, dressed him in No. 56. Almonte, acquired last week in the Roberto Alomar trade, is expected to last only a night as the team plans to recall Jason Roach 57 to make Leiter’s start on Tuesday. We’ll see whether Roach keeps No. 57.

Alomar Traded

The Mets ended one of the most dysfunctional relationships in team history today by sending aloof second baseman Smilin’ Robbie Alomar 12 to the White Sox for three minor leaguers including promising AA reliever Royce Ring, about whom headline writers are already drooling. Alomar, whose attitude was never sterling even before he was acquired by Steve Phillips, was poorly prepared to deal with declining skills — as were Mets fans, not surprisingly — and no doubt welcomes the divorce. We wind up with custody of the two disappointing years and he the memory of New York writers when it comes time to fill out that Hall of Fame ballot. Sorry, Robbie: It wasn’t us, it was you.