Once the centerpiece of a trade that caused years of grief for Mets fans, Scott Kazmir was handed his release papers by the Angels last Wednesday. Kazmir was the big prize for the Rays in a 2004 trade that sent Victor Zambrano to the Mets, and now, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, there's at least a chance he'll come full circle and end up back with the club that drafted him 15th overall in 2002.
Martino notes that general manager Sandy Alderson is usually quick to dismiss speculation about players whom the team is genuinely not interested in, but when asked about the possibility of adding Kazmir, Alderson had this to say: "We look at everybody who hits the wire, and the same would apply to him."
It's hardly a strong commitment in favor of Kazmir, but it does at least point to a possibility that Kazmir could return to Queens seven years after he was traded. The Mets' rotation has been solid with a 3.84 ERA this season entering play today, but their depth took a significant hit when they lost both Chris Young (anterior capsule tear in his throwing shoulder) and top prospect Jenrry Mejia (Tommy John surgery) earlier this year. It's also still unknown when ace Johan Santana will pitch again. Kazmir is the type of low-risk, high-reward addition that could improve that depth if he can rediscover himself.
