The Benitez/Julio/Burgos Connection

It's all connected in beautiful symmetry: First Armando Benitez pitched for the Orioles, Mets and Marlins, and now hurls for the elderly Giants. When Jorge Julio came to New York by way of Baltimore, it seemed that Benitez had never left.  Also a shaky, flame-throwing right-hander, Julio even looked like Benitez to Mets fans-- many of them thought the two pitchers were the same man.  Now Julio occupies Benitez's former role as Marlins' closer.

What does this have to do with the Mets now? According to DNL from Armchair GM, the trade last year of Kris Benson and his wife Anna to the Baltimore Orioles for John Maine and Jorge Julio had a deeper meaning.  Perplexing on the surface-- why trade away needed started pitching for an unnecessary, shaky reliever?-- the trade was greatly redeemed when Julio was traded to the Diamondbacks for Orlando Hernández.

The armchair GM proposes that this was Omar Minaya's plan all along- to showcase the young, high-upside fireman early in the year in order to trade him later for a good veteran pitcher.  This is what the team is now doing with Ambiorix Burgos, or so this speculation goes.  Acquired from Kansas City for Brian Bannister, Burgos seemed like an unlikely candidate for the Mets' solid bullpen, and despite continuing his struggles during spring training, made the team and pitched with a one run lead yesterday afternoon against the Phillies.  Perplexingly, he was left in the game to face the lefty slugger Ryan Howard with a base open and the tying and lead runs in scoring position.  Why? Perhaps Omar Minaya told Willie Randolph to "give him some good spots," and the manager complied.

It's possible that Burgos, the successor to the Benitez/Julio line (yes, he also looks like part), will be on the move some time this year for a starting pitcher.

John Peterson is a Mets fan and writes for the blog Blastings Thrilledge.

Comments

[registereduser]

Too bad they didn't have him pitch to Yadi Molina in game 7 of the NLCS. Maybe he could have kept the Mets from getting owned in the playoffs... or not...

[displacedmetsfan]

registereduser, your comment doesn't make much sense. Unless you're trying to mock the Mets, in which case it's just lame.

John, thanks for the link/insight. That's interesting and certainly feasible, but this year may be different if Mota doesn't come back strong (and since Duaner is more or less. We may end up needing Burgos down the stretch. That doesn't sound scary to me just yet; there's plenty of time for Rick Peterson to work with him.

[displacedmetsfan]

Sorry, meant to write "since Duaner is more or less down for the year."

[bobo]

Um, ok. So basically you're saying the Mets are trying to buy low and sell high. What a novel idea - more teams should try that.

Julio was a big risk to take on - an inconsistent reliever making almost $3M a year. And I think the fact that they got an old, average, injury-prone, free-agent-to-be starter (who they promptly overpaid) from a team out of the race is hardly a feather in Minaya's cap.

Teams take chances on players all the time. Sometimes they work out. The Mets traded their excess (mediocre 4th and 5th starter-types) in Bannister for a risky, high-upside reliever. It probably made sense given NY's roster (Bannister is no better or worse than 5 other pitchers the Mets could throw out there in the back of the rotation), and they got a guy who may be awful, but has some potential, and yes, could be traded (or kept).

But looking at these trades and using them as evidence that Minaya is some diabolical genius is pretty silly.

[John Peterson]

bobo, that's true, but this history does give us an insight into an otherwise perplexing situation: a team allowing its most shaky reliever, who has a HR-surrendering propensity, to pitch to an opposite-handed super slugger in a close game. It also could mean nothing.

[beeniez]

There was no point to pitching to Howard. He should have been walked or Feliciano should have been brought in. This conspiracy theory about Minaya telling Willie that is ridiculous and a huge stretch. "He was trying to pitch around him and hung one" sounds more believable. Willie has never been good at game decisions, he's only good off the field. He's made terrible pitching changes and decisions all season.

[moebarguy]

I don't buy it at all. I think it is possible that he will be traded at some point since he's not a go-to reliever. But to claim that him pitching to Howard in a tight spot is all part of some showcase scheme is a bit farfetched.

[greenbaydude1232]

Jeez welcome to MLBTR lol.

Calm down guys...he was merely making a connection and drawing a conclusion based on past information that led him to think this could be a possibility. No need to get all judgemental on him.

[greenbaydude1232]

Jeez welcome to MLBTR lol.

Calm down guys...he was merely making a connection and drawing a conclusion based on past information that led him to think this could be a possibility. No need to get all judgemental on him.

[ArodSucksAtLife]

"No need to get all judgemental on him."

Why not? I thought thats what we did, pass judgment on peoples comments and respond. Not to mention the fact that his blog name is based on a dude who may not be on the Mets for much longer. If Omar is smart Milledge will be, unless he can spinned for decent SP, but still.. being judgemental rules.

After all that nonsense I don't disagree with his conjecture. I personally would have asked for someone like Bannister in return for Burgos, so I think Dayton Moore already made the trade you(he) want(s) Minaya to make.

[John Peterson]

Sure I made it all wild-sounding, but it's perfectly reasonable. Suppose Burgos posts numbers that are much better than how he has actually pitched-- his ERA is 3.00 and his PERA is 5.50, let's say. Turn him around. If it goes the other way, well, the Mets traded Brian Bannister, who isn't exactly a prospect, has little upside, and didn't even crack the Royals' starting 5. The Mets got the better of that deal even if Burgos can't be traded.

[RotoAuthority]

I'm probably biased but I loved it. Great first post. Make logical points I hadn't considered, and got people talking trade. Nobody said Omar was diabolical...he is just talking trade strategy here.