« Home Run Per Flyball Leaders | Main | Ramon Hernandez Trade Examined »

J.J. Putz Trade Examined

By Tim Dierkes [December 12, 2008 at 1:34am CST]

Mets GM Omar Minaya pulled off a blockbuster trade Monday, adding J.J. Putz, Sean Green, and Jeremy Reed to the organization. Let's take a look at the fantasy baseball ramifications.

Of the three players the Mets added, Putz should have 2009 mixed league value. The common refrain in the fantasy mags next year might be that Putz lost all his value because he's become a setup man. That's not true. If healthy, Putz could be among the best setup men in baseball. Based on his 2006-07 numbers, he's capable of striking out 80-100 with microscopic ratios. Plus, he's moving to the NL. There's also the possibility that Francisco Rodriguez gets injured or isn't available three days in a row, leaving save chances for Putz. Pick him up in the late rounds and be rewarded.

The Mariners received Aaron Heilman, Endy Chavez, Mike Carp, Franklin Gutierrez, and three minor leaguers. Heilman is intriguing - he could be squeezed into the rotation, or he could remain in the 'pen and even find save chances. He could be useful if he rediscovers his control, but should be a bench pickup at best. I'm not thrilled with the fantasy value of the rest of the package, though Gutierrez could have his uses if you spot-start him against lefties. And he did toss up a .313/.389/.476 line in the season's final two months. He should be the Ms' regular center fielder.

The Indians inserted themselves into the deal rather than go all-out to try to get Putz to keep. Joe Smith and Luis Valbuena do not figure to have fantasy value in '09.

Full Story | Comments (4) | Categories: Cleveland Indians | New York Mets | Seattle Mariners

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d834515b9a69e20105365dde62970c

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference J.J. Putz Trade Examined:

Comments

This should increase Santana's value also because he will not have leads blown late in the game after he has already been taken out.

Posted by: baez's mom | December 12, 2008 at 02:11 AM

As an M's fan, I'm glad they've decided to not be stupid and hang onto all of their "stars." That said, I think there are also some reasons to not draft Putz late. One is the injury risk. If he were closing, it would be worth the risk that injuries recur, but since he's not, the only chance for upside is if Rodriguez gets hurt. There are much better upside plays in the later rounds. Another reason is that he's a reliever. I'm biased because I hate relievers, but the fact of the matter is that they're volatile. Yes, there's always the chance he picks up saves, but that chance is, as I mentioned, contingent upon Rodriguez getting hurt, which is certainly not out of the question, yet does not seem to be a high percentage gamble. The probable benefits do not mitigate the risk from volatility in this case. Yet another reason is his age. He's not ancient, but he almost certainly past his prime, giving one pause when considering whether he can return to his earlier dominance.

Posted by: JL | December 12, 2008 at 02:58 AM

he is* almost certainly past his prime

Sigh.

Posted by: JL | December 12, 2008 at 03:00 AM

Agree with Tim. Putz has value in mixed leagues as a low ratios/high Ks middle reliever.

I'm curious to see how much Valbuena does in Cleveland. He had moderate power and speed in AAA last year, and the Indians want to move Peralta to 3B and Cabrera to SS. His plate discipline is decent (59 walks 69 Ks with 452 Abs.

A defintie sleeper in AL-only formats.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Luis%20Valbuena&pos=&sid=t529&t=p_pbp&pid=472528

Posted by: Fake Teams | December 12, 2008 at 08:40 AM