This is another speculative post on behalf of Astros County, but don't sleep on the fact that the Mets just declined J.J. Putz's $9.1mil option for 2010, opting instead to buy him out for $1mil.
Says MLB.com's Jason Beck:
Putz experienced elbow discomfort in early May and had surgery to remove a bone spur a month later. He tried throwing late in the year, but was ultimately diagnosed with a slight tear in his medial collateral ligament in the same elbow. He's expected to fully recover and be ready to start throwing next month, but even so, the injury worries reportedly were concerning enough for the Mets, who were believed to be hesitant about the 2010 option going into this season.
Beck goes on to say that Putz could be a low-cost option for teams seeking help in the 9th inning in 2010. Hey, you know what? Putz will be 33, he's coming off surgery, and he'll be cheaper than Jose Valverde. Those are perfect conditions for a run by the Astros. Don't sleep on the possibility of Putz in an Astros uniform.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
