Last offseason, in an effort to bolster their ineffective late-inning relief, the Mets made a three-team, 12-player trade of which J.J. Putz was the centerpiece. Putz had previously been a very effective closer for the Mariners, but he would get eighth-inning duty for the Mets, considering they paid a hefty sum to bring in Francisco Rodriguez to close. Less than one year later, it appears Putz and the Mets will go their separate ways. According to Ben Shpigel of the New York Times, the Mets will decline Putz's $9.1 million player option for 2010 and instead buy his contract out for a cool million -- making him a free agent.
Technically, the Mets could still bring Putz back with a different contract, but it's unlikely, considering Putz has always expressed his belief that he is a closer. With more than a handful of teams in the market for a closer, Putz won't have any trouble finding work.
The 32-year-old right-hander missed much of last season due to injury issues in his throwing elbow. In 2006-2007, his last two full seasons as a closer, Putz saved 76 games and rocked a solid 1.86 ERA and 0.81 WHIP. If he can battle back from the injuries of the past two seasons, he can be one of the better closers in the game, but he'll likely have to prove his health with a one-year contract in light of the past two seasons.
