The recent debate of whether or not the Mets should pick up the $8.6 million dollar option on J.J. Putz shouldn’t even be a debate at all.
With all the problems the Mets have right now, why would they even consider paying almost nine million bucks to a setup man who hasn’t been effective since 2007?
We’ve been bashing Omar for over spending on players for the last three years, and now some of us would encourage him to engage in yet another disastrous signing? Haven’t we had enough of those already?
At a time when the Mets should be stocking up on value picks, throwing good money at a pitcher who is coming off surgery and has yet to prove he is healthy is sheer insanity. Especially when a healthier and more superior option like Joe Beimel can be had for less than $3 million dollars per season.
Of course Putz wants to stay with the Mets… He has 8.6 million excellent reasons for wanting to setup for K-Rod… Too bad that not one of those reasons is because he can actually help the Mets win a championship.
If there was no option hanging in the balance, Putz would be putting so much distance between himself and the Mets that you’d need the Hubbell telescope to see him. The bottom line is that no team will give Putz a closers job until he proves himself as a $2 million dollar setup man first next season. Enter the Mets and Putz’s newfound love for the setup job.
It’s bad enough that we overpaid tremendously for Putz last off season, especially when it was no secret that the Seattle Mariners were desperate to unload him. Additionally, he was damaged goods then, and now he’s even more of a risk.
If the first move Minaya makes this off season, is to pick up the option on J.J. Putz, strap yourself in for another bumpy ride in 2010.
