Mike's Mets

Saturday, January 21, 2006

Update: Confirmation on Benson for Julio Trade

Newsday, Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal and the New York Mets web site are all reporting this trade has been made:

Newsday: Benson for Julio is a done deal
Jon Heyman reports the trade has been finalized:

The Mets have agreed to trade Kris Benson to the Orioles for reliever Jorge Julio and righthanded pitching prospect John Maine, Newsday has learned.

...The Mets discussed trading Benson for much of the winter. This deal enables them to give Aaron Heilman an opportunity to win the No. 5 slot in the starting rotation. Heilman, whose stock soared last year, had requested a trade if he wasn't made a starter.

Mets general manager Omar Minaya is said to like Julio's power arm. Julio, who's been clocked as high as 99 mph and reminds some of Armando Benitez, saved 83 games from 2002-04. However, his value fell after being hit hard last year after his demotion from closer to set-up man. Julio, who turns 27 in March, was 3-5 with a 5.90 ERA. Overall he is 11-24 with a 4.20 ERA.

Maine, 24, gives the Mets yet another hard thrower. Maine was 2-3 with a 6.30 ERA for the Orioles last year. In 40 innings, he allowed 39 hits while walking 24 and striking out 24.

Fox Sports: Rosenthal confirms
Ken Rosenthal also reports the deal has been completed, although he doesn't identify the pitching prospect.

Mets.com: Noble Confirms
Marty Noble reports a done deal on the Mets official web site:

The Mets' sense that their bullpen was lacking has promoted them to make another trade aimed at reinforcing their relief pitching at the expense of their rotation. Less than a month after dealing Jae Seo, their best starting pitcher for a month late last summer, they have dealt their No. 3 starter as well.

Kris Benson was traded to the Orioles on Saturday in an exchange that imports right-handed reliever Jorge Julio, formerly the Orioles closer, and a modest right-handed pitching prospect, John Maine.

Sources with both clubs confirmed the trade has been made. An announcement was expected this afternoon, and the Mets have scheduled a 3 p.m. ET conference call with the media.

...Now Julio is part of the Mets' almost totally remodeled and predominantly right-handed bullpen. He and Duaner Sanchez, the reliever acquired from the Dodgers in the Seo trade, are likely to be the setup men for Billy Wagner, the lone left-handed pitcher guaranteed a place in the 'pen.

Julio, who saved 83 games for the Orioles from 2002-2004, lost the closer assignment to B.J. Ryan last season and was used in setup relief. At age 26 in his fourth big-league season, he produced a 3-5 record a 5.90 ERA in 67 appearances and 71 2/3 innings. His ERA has increased three straight years from 1.99 in 2002, to 4.38 in 2003, 4.57 in 2004 and 5.90 last summer.

A person familiar with the decline in Julio's career characterized it this way Saturday: "He has gone from closer, to setup to mopup."

That last quote was kind of ugly, but all too accurate based on Julio's career decline.

The info Noble offers on John Maine coincides with the limited info I've been able to find:

Maine, 24, made his Major League debut in 2004 and has a 2-4 record and 6.60 ERA in 11 Major League appearances, nine of them starts. Executives from three other clubs were mostly unimpressed with Maine, one suggesting he isn't ready to take a regular turn in he rotation of a contender.

Apparently Maine has some promise, but experiences many problems with his mechanics. I hope that no one in the Mets hierarchy still believes in a 10 minute Rick Peterson "fix".

I have to agree with Marty Noble's concerns about this deal:

The departures of Seo and Benson appear to indicate one or two changes in the Mets' thinking. It now seems more likely that Aaron Heilman will be part of the rotation, as he prefers, and/or that Alay Soler, the right-handed Cuban defector, looms larger in the club's plans.

No matter who replaces Benson and Seo, the changes leave the Mets without depth in starting pitching. When Seo was traded, general manager Omar Minaya indicated that Soler was part of the depth he would rely on. Now Benson and his seven years of experience are gone, too, and Soler, who never has pitched in a professional game in the United States, evidently has moved up on the Mets' depth chart.

At the same time, the Mets have developed a greater need for a left-handed setup reliever, a commodity hardly available in abundance. They had steadfastly said Heilman, who is right-handed, would handle left-handed batters because of his effective changeup. If Heilman is in the rotation now, which pitcher will provide that service?

...While Benson was a bit of a disappointment to the Mets -- partially because of injury -- he did win 10 games last summer. Only Pedro Martinez (15) and Tom Glavine (13) won more. Now the Mets have to replace Benson's 10 victories and Seo's eight.

I really need to digest this, and you still have to wonder if Barry Zito rumors might revive again. I will be back with opinion once I have time to actually form one.

See my previous post for some opinions that I began expressing before the trade news broke.

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2 Comments:

  • Mike

    It appears you fill a void of good logic left by Kaley.I would have posted on Metsblog but the sheer ridiculous barbed candor is useless.

    we agree benson was a mid tier starter ala Trachsel on a team with WS aspirations...NOT a fit. Plus if we see him as insurance for Pedro..how soon we forget his inflated Aug/Sept ERA when he hit his ceiling...But wasnt he rested in Apr?

    So why not get Weaver. The blog-mindless have not seen him as Bensons equal. Nor have they seen that he actually might take a one yr contract to redeem his value and PITCH IN ny. ALSO Omar may have a deal in principle for him.

    3. John Maine (on MLB rumours) still fits into the 15-20 range of prospects. Sure he's not Lowen. But he Might be a great complement to Bannister.

    4. Heilman is gone. Just as Anna's rant sealed that deal. I feel Heilman is the (H...Haren/Harden), key. Also Nady is another Beane target. Maine could stay as rotation insurance.

    5. So if Nady and heilman go likely a 3rd player must be traded. I propose Kaz Matsui, or Adrian hernandez. A yr ago only Nady of this group had ANY value.

    6. I have long written that unlike last yr Kepp if recovered HAS the 2nd base job. Al that remains is for the Mets to save face. And if Kaz is dealt/sold to Japan that is done. H/e he may get this Spr. to showcase his tools. BOTH at SS and 2nd. Andy wilson/shawn Bowman could be at aa/AAA. And Woodward is the back up at 2nd. BUT lost in memory is the gms thrown by Kaz's glove, Loop's arm and Bensons Aug/Sept swoon.

    There is obvious hostility after losing Gaby and Yusi. But Matt Peterson was never heard from again and he was a top tier prospect.

    I am optimistic that VZ and Alay Soler's winter show and Kepp's recovery will fuel the Mets 99 win season. I really hope VZ comes together. He IS a better (tools) pitcher than Benson.

    Again I like signing Weaver as he projects at least at #4, ahead of Traxx, who I also think will be traded in the Spr. Iriki is IN Heilmans swing role right now. further pushing Heilman out. But Traxx in a meaning dull game is not synonomous with warmth.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:51 AM  

  • I appreciate the compliment.

    I'm not against signing Weaver for one year. Despite how badly he pitched for the Yankees it is a reasonable gamble.

    Maine IS a prospect, and although his stock has fallen some he is young and can possibly contribute as either a starter or reliever.

    I hope you're wrong about Heilman. I just have a feeling about him -- I don't think 2005 was a fluke, but rather a turnaround. Zito scares me a little, despite his youth and accomplishments. I think he can go either way in his career and will be expensive to sign.

    I like Zambrano, too, but wonder if the NY fans will ever give him a fair chance. I do agree he has more potential upside than Benson.

    I still want to see Iriki and Soler pitch before I feel comfortable with handing them any role.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts. They were more interesting than this post. :)

    By Blogger Mike, at 1:27 AM  

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