Wondering what’s up with that seemingly inequitable Kris Benson for Jorge Julio deal that fizzled last night? My Mets source has the scoop.
"Mets are hanging onto Benson for now. Rumor of the deal being close to completion was leaked to NY Post so that other teams who may have interest in Benson could come back to them with a better offer next week."
This is the same source that gave me the Billy Wagner deal, so I’m confident in his take on Benson.
Seems the Mets played the Post to test the waters. Many analysts wrote the inequity of the deal off as a salary dump, but cutting $5MM isn’t really going to change the way the Mets do business. The club floated the idea of dealing a decent #3 starter for a lousy, overpaid reliever, and it’s likely that a starting pitching-starved team tops Jorge Julio. The Angels are one team that can be considered to have a surplus of solid bullpen arms and a possible need for a starter like Benson.
