METS NEWS & TRANSACTIONS

Jerry Manuel Replaces Willie Randolph As Mets New Manager

June 17, 2008 The New York Mets fired manager Willie Randolph and replaced him with bench coach Jerry Manuel, who will take over on an interim basis with the team for the remainder of the season. Randolph, who guided the Mets to a 34-35 record this season, was in his fourth year as manager of the team and finished with a career coaching record of 302-253. Manuel, who has spent four seasons in the Mets’ organization, has served as the team’s bench coach since 2006. He previously served as the manager of the Chicago White Sox between 1998 and 2003 and was named American League Manager of the Year in 2000. Dan Warthen will replace Rick Peterson as the team’s pitching coach, while and Ken Oberkfell and Luis Aguayo will help fill the void left by the release of first base coach Tom Nieto.

Randolph, Girardi Asked to Serve as All-Star Coaches

May 16, 2008 Managers Willie Randolph of the Mets and Joe Girardi of the Yankees have been asked to serve as coaches for the Major League Baseball All-Star game in New York. Yankee Stadium will host the game July 15 in its final season. Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona will guide the AL team and Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle will lead the NL side. Francona invited Girardi and Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland to be AL coaches, while Hurdle asked Randolph and San Diego Padres manager Bud Black to be on his staff.

Mets Trade for Superstar Johan Santana

February 2, 2008 The New York Mets traded a package of four prospects to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for superstar pitcher Johan Santana. The Mets also locked up Santana with a five-year extension that will have him playing in Queens though the 2013 season with an option for 2014 if certain incentives are reached. Santana, 28, is a two-time CY Young award-winning pitcher who is considered one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball. He brings his impressive career ERA of 3.22 in the American League to the Mets, as well as his career record of 93-44. Santana instantly shifts the balance of power in the National League to the Mets, in a move that many are saying will make the Mets the team to beat in the league. The Mets parted with speedy minor league outfielder Carlos Gomez, as well as minor league pitchers Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra. Gomez, 21, is the only player included in the deal that played significant time with the Mets in 2007, posting a .232 average with two home runs and 12 RBI.

Mets Trade for Nationals’ Church and Schneider

December 1, 2007 The New York Mets traded 22-year old outfielder Lastings Milledge to the Washington Nationals in exchange for outfielder Ryan Church and catcher Brian Schneider. Church, 29, has spent his entire three year career with the Nationals/Montreal Expos, batting .272, 15 home runs and 70 RBI last season. Schneider, a seven-year veteran, hit .235 with six home runs and 54 RBI in 2006. The Nationals receive Lastings Milledge in the trade, who hit .272 with seven home runs and 29 RBI in 184 at bats with the Mets in 2007.

Mets Trade Mota for Catcher Estrada

November 21, 2007 The Mets traded reliever Guillermo Mota to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for catcher Johnny Estrada. Estrada batted .278 with 10 home runs and 54 RBI in 2007. The New York Mets become Estrada’s fifth major league team, having played for the Phillies (2001-02), Braves (2003-05), Diamondbacks (2006) and Brewers (2007). Estrada was an All-Star in 2004 with the Braves in a season in which he also won the Silver Slugger Award at catcher.

Wright and Beltran win 2007 Silver Slugger Awards

November 12, 2007 David Wright and Carlos Beltran each won the 2007 Silver Slugger award, given annually to the top offensive performer at each position. Beltran was named one of the best offensive outfielders for a second straight season after leading the Mets with 33 home runs and 112 RBI. Wright led the Mets with a .325 batting average while achieving his first 30-30 season (30 home runs; 34 stolen bases). Wright is the first Mets third baseman to win the award since Howard Johnson took the honor in 1991.

Wright and Beltran win 2007 Rawlings Gold Gloves

November 7, 2007 New York Mets’ third baseman David Wright and outfielder Carlos Beltran were awarded the Rawlings Gold Glove for their superior defense during the 2007 season. Wright had an impressive .954 fielding percentage with just 21 errors in 159 games at third. Beltran was named one of the National League’s best defensive outfielders, along with the Braves’ Andruw Jones and Jeff Francoeur and the Phillies’ Aaron Rowand. The Mets’ centerfielder played 141 games and committed just five errors and was third in the league with 389 put-outs. Wright became the first third baseman to hit 30 homeruns, steal 30 bases and win a Gold Glove in the same season and is the first Mets’ third baseman to win the award since Robin Ventura took the honor in 1999. Beltran, who won his first Gold Glove in 2006, became the first Mets outfielder in team history to win back-to-back Gold Gloves. Wright and Beltran are the first Mets’ teammates to win since Ventura and Rey Ordonez each won for the 1999 season.

Glavine Wins 300th Career Game

August 5, 2007 New York Mets pitcher Tom Glavine became the 23rd player in Major League Baseball history to win 300 games. Only the fifth left-hander to reach the milestone and first to do so in a Mets uniform, Glavine became the first 300-game winner since former teammate Greg Maddux reached the milestone in 2004 while with the Cubs. Glavine’s lengthy resume already includes two Cy Young Awards, five 20-win seasons, 10 All-Star Game selections, 1995 World Series MVP and a World Series ring during his illustrious 21-year career with the Atlanta Braves and the Mets.

Mets Acquire Second Baseman Castillo in Trade with Twins

July 30, 2007 The NL East-leading New York Mets addressed their need for a second baseman by acquiring three-time All-Star Luis Castillo in a trade with the Minnesota Twins. In exchange for Castillo, the Mets sent Class A outfielder Dustin Martin and Class AA catcher Drew Butera to Minnesota.

The 31-year-old Castillo is a three-time Gold Glove winner and two-time base stealing champion. He was also a member of the 2003 Florida Marlins championship team. This season, Castillo is batting .304 with 9 stolen bases, 54 runs and a .356 on-base percentage. Defensively, he will combine with José Reyes to form one of the best double-play combinations in baseball. Offensively, Castillo will hit in the No. 2 spot behind Reyes. Castillo also gives the Mets three switch-hitters at the top of their lineup (once Carlos Beltran returns from injury).

National League All-Star Roster Includes Four Mets

July 2, 2007 The first-place Mets will be well represented at the All-Star Game in San Francisco, placing four players on the National League roster. Centerfielder Carlos Beltran, shortstop Jose Reyes and third baseman David Wright were voted into the starting lineup by fans, and closer Billy Wagner was selected by N.L. manager Tony LaRussa. Reyes and Wright will be making their second career All-Star appearance while Beltran makes his fourth. Wagner is an All-Star for the fifth time, his first as a Met.

Mets Sign Outfielder Moises Alou

November 20, 2006 The New York Mets acquired free agent outfielder Moises Alou to replace Cliff Floyd as the team’s starting left fielder. The outfielder signed a one-year contract with a club option for 2008. The Mets will send their 2007 first-round draft pick to the Giants as compensation for the free agent signing. Alou, 41, batted .301 and hit 22 home runs with 74 RBI in 98 games last season for the San Francisco Giants. The six-time All-Star, who batted .349 against lefties in 2006, will bolster a lineup that struggled against left-handed pitching last season.

METS CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT!

September 18, 2006 The New York Mets clinched the NL East for the first time since 1988 with a 4-0 win over the Florida Marlins. Just two years removed from a 71-91 finish that led to the hirings of manager Willie Randolph and General Manager Omar Minaya, the Mets ended the reign of the Braves, who had won 14 consecutive division titles, including 11 in a row since their move to the NL East. The Mets became the first team this season to clinch a playoff berth and can prepare for their first postseason appearance since 2000 when they won the wild card for the second consecutive season and lost to the Yankees in the World Series .The Mets are likely to meet the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres in the first round of playoffs beginning the first week of October.

Mets Announce Plans for New Stadium in 2009

August 22, 2006 The Mets announced the signing of all agreements related to the financing and construction of a new ballpark that is scheduled to be completed by Opening Day in 2009. The new stadium will seat 45,000 fans, and will feature several restaurants and have wider concourses. The stadium's exterior is designed to evoke the old Ebbets Field, the former home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, which opened in 1913 and was demolished in 1960.

Mets Acquire Shawn Green

August 22, 2006 The New York Mets acquired outfielder Shawn Green and cash considerations from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for minor league lefthanded pitcher Evan MacLane. Green, 33, hit .283 with 59 runs, 22 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs, 51 RBI, with 37 walks and 64 strikeouts in 115 games with Arizona this year. He has also notched 31 multi-hit games this season. Green was named to the 1999 and 2002 National League All-Star teams.

Mets Trade for Two Pitchers at Deadline

July 31, 2006 The Mets acquired left-hander Oliver Perez and veteran reliever Roberto Hernandez from the Pirates in exchange for outfielder Xavier Nady. In Perez, the Mets get a potential ace who has not been able to harness his outstanding talent. In 15 starts with Pittsburgh this season, the 24-year-old was 2-10 with a 6.63 ERA before getting shipped to Triple-A Indianapolis. The 41-year-old Hernandez, who pitched well for the Mets last season, is 0-3 with a 2.92 ERA and two saves in 46 games for the Pirates. Nady is batting .264 with 14 homers and 40 RBI in 75 games.

Mets Acquire "El Duque"

May 24, 2006 The New York Mets acquired right-hander Orlando Hernandez from the Arizona Diamondbacks for reliever Jorge Julio in an effort to strengthen the back end of their pitching rotation. Hernandez was 2-4 with a 6.11 ERA in nine starts for Arizona in his first year in the National League. Hernandez helped the Chicago White Sox toward the World Series title last season with a couple of clutch performances in October. He was a key member of the Yankees' rotation when they won three straight championships in 1998-2000. Julio was 1-2 with a 5.06 ERA in 18 relief appearances in his first season with the Mets. He struck out 33 in 21 1/3 innings.

11 Mets Named to International World Baseball Classic Rosters

March 2, 2006 The United States National Team that will compete in the World Baseball Classic will not feature any Mets after the announcement that Bill Wagner has pulled out of the Classic so that he could better prepare for his first season with the Mets. The tournament, which will be played March 3-20 in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Japan, will showcase the world’s finest baseball players competing for their home countries. Although no Mets will be competing for the U.S. team, 11 other Mets will be playing in the Classic for their respective countries. These players include Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Juan Padilla, Jose Valentin and Pedro Feliciano for Puerto Rico; Dae-Sung Koo for Korea; Jose Reyes and Duaner Sanchez for the Dominican Republic; and Victor Zambrano, Jorge Julio and Endy Chavez for Venezuela.

Mets Trade Benson for Jorge Julio

Mets pitcher Kris Benson was traded to the Orioles on Saturday, January 21st in an exchange that imports right-handed reliever Jorge Julio—formerly the Orioles' closer—and a right-handed starting pitcher with a modest big-league resume, John Maine. Julio, who saved 83 games for the Orioles from 2002-2004, lost the closer assignment to B.J. Ryan last season and was used in setup relief. He produced a 3-5 record a 5.90 ERA in 67 appearances and 71 2/3 innings in his fourth big-league season. Julio pitched a career-high 71 2/3 innings, surrendering 76 hits, 24 walks, striking out 58 and allowing only four of 24 inherited runners to score. Maine, 24, made his Major League debut in 2004 and has a 2-4 record and 6.60 ERA in 11 Major League appearances, nine of which were starts. While Benson was a bit of a disappointment to the Mets—partially because of injury—he did win 10 games last season. Only Martinez (15) and Glavine (13) won more.

Mets Trade Seo For Relievers

The Mets completed a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers to acquire relievers Duaner Sanchez and Steve Schmoll in exchange for starting pitcher Jae Seo and lefty reliever Tim Hamulack. The Mets also signed former All-Star second baseman Bret Boone to a minor-league contract. Sanchez pitched in 79 games for the Dodgers in 2005, going 4-7 with a 3.73 ERA, walking 36 and striking out 71 in 82 innings. He throws a fastball that reaches about 95 mph on the radar gun, and he also displays a curveball, slider and changeup. Sanchez becomes the Mets' primary setup man to new closer Billy Wagner. The 25-year-old Schmoll, signed by Los Angeles in May 2003, was 2-2 with a 5.01 ERA and three saves for the Dodgers and 0-3 with a 4.78 ERA in 22 games for Triple-A Las Vegas in 2005. Seo, 28, went 8-2 with a 2.59 ERA for the Mets last season, starting 14 games. Tim Hamulack, 29, appeared in six games for the Mets in 2005, allowing seven hits and six earned runs in 2 1/3 innings. The 36-year-old Boone is a three-time All-Star who fell out of favor in Seattle and was put on waivers last July. He played 14 games for the Twins before being released in August. Overall, he batted .221 with seven home runs and 37 RBIs in 2005

Mets Acquire Paul Lo Duca

Omar Minaya continued his active off-season by acquiring catcher Paul Lo Duca from the Florida Marlins in exchange for minor league pitcher Gaby Hernandez and another minor leaguer who has yet to be named. The 33 year-old Lo Duca has been an All-Star for the past three consecutive seasons where he spent time with both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Marlins. Lo Duca, who hails from Brooklyn, has amassed an impressive resume in his seven-year career which includes a .285 lifetime batting average. In 2005, Lo Duca hit .283 with six homers and 57 RBI’s in his first full season with the Marlins.

Mets Sign Wagner

The New York Mets signed closer Billy Wagner to a four-year contract on Tuesday, November 29th. One day after introducing first baseman Carlos Delgado, New York general manager Omar Minaya continued his offseason acquisitions with the signing of Wagner, who was widely considered the best closer on the open market. Wagner, a lefty, has recorded a 34-32 record with 284 saves and an impressive 2.40 ERA since joining the big leagues in 1995. Last year, he posted a 4-3 mark with 38 saves and a miniscule 1.51 ERA in 75 games with the Philadelphia Phillies. Wagner, 34, started his career with the Houston Astros before being traded to the Phillies prior to the 2004 season. In two years in Philadelphia he posted a total of 59 saves and helped the club come within one game of a wild card berth this past year.

Mets Trade For Delgado

Carlos Delgado was traded to the New York Mets by the Florida Marlins on Thursday, November 24th for first baseman Mike Jacobs, minor leaguer pitcher Yusmeiro Petit and minor league infielder Grant Psomas. Delgado hit .301 with 33 homers and 115 RBIs in his lone season with the Marlins, reaching 30 homers for the ninth consecutive year. The 33-year-old first baseman, who spent his first 12 major league seasons with Toronto, has a .284 career average with 369 homers and 1,173 RBIs. The two-time all-star will slide into a New York lineup that also includes center fielder Carlos Beltran, left fielder Cliff Floyd and third baseman David Wright. Delgado's .393 career on-base percentage should help a team that finished tied for 12th in the NL in that category last season at .322.

The 25-year-old Jacobs hit .310 with 11 home runs and 23 RBIs in only 30 games for the Mets this year. He finished eighth among NL rookies in homers and became the first player in major league history to hit four homers within four days of his major league debut. Petit, a 21-year-old right-hander, went a combined 9-6 with a 3.60 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 24 starts last season between triple-A Norfolk and double-A Binghamton. Psomas, 23, played 99 games with two class-A teams, hitting a combined .301 with 20 homers and 69 RBIs.

Mets Trade Cameron

The New York Mets acquired outfielder/first baseman Xavier Nady from the San Diego Padres in exchange for outfielder Mike Cameron on November, 18th. Nady, 27, hit .261 with 40 runs scored, 15 doubles, two triples, a career-high 13 home runs and 43 RBI with 22 walks and 67 strikeouts in 124 games to help the Padres capture the National League West in 2005. Xavier has the versatility to play first base, third base or the outfield. In 2005, Nady played 44 games at first base, three at third base, 26 in leftfield, 30 in centerfield and 13 in right field. For his career, Nady has a .263 (204-775) batting average with 36 doubles, three triples, 25 home runs, 91 RBI with 51 walks and 154 strikeouts in 269 career major league games.

Cameron, 32, hit .273 (84-308) with 23 doubles, two triples, 12 home runs and 39 RBI in 76 games with New York in 2005 before he had his season ended on August 11th in an outfield collision with Carlos Beltran at San Diego. Cameron has compiled a .249 batting average with 690 runs scored, 238 doubles, 39 triples, 173 home runs and 625 RBI throughout his career with the White Sox, Reds, Mariners and Mets.

Mets 2005 Postseason Awards

Mike Jacobs of the New York Mets has been presented the George M. Trautman Award honoring the Player of the Year in each of the 16 Minor League Division affiliates. Jacobs was honored for his outstanding play while with the Binghamton Mets, a Double- A affiliate from the Eastern Division. Jacobs batted .321 with 25 homeruns before being called up to the major league club in late August where he finished the last two months of the year by hitting eleven homeruns and 23 RBI’s.

Mets Sign Free-Agent Graves

On June 7th, the New York Mets signed free-agent relief pitcher Danny Graves to a one-year contract. Despite the turmoil that has surrounded Graves’ season thus far, he will provide the Mets with necessary bullpen depth and the experience of a former closer. During his career as the Reds’ closer, Graves logged 30 or more saves in 4 seasons. Just last year Graves accumulated 41 saves, tying him for ninth in the Major Leagues.

Mets Fill Hole in Pitching Rotation

The New York Mets filled a hole in their rotation on March 20th acquiring left-hander Kazuhisa Ishii from the Los Angeles Dodgers for catcher Jason Phillips. The Mets traded for Ishii to fill the void created when they lost Steve Trachsel to a back injury. Trachsel, who made 33 starts for New York last season, had surgery Saturday to repair a herniated disc and will miss at least three to six months. Ishii will step into the No. 5 spot in the rotation behind Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine, Kris Benson and Victor Zambrano. Ishii went 13-8 with a 4.71 ERA in 31 starts last season for the Dodgers. Often erratic, he walked 98 batters in 172 innings. He is 36-25 with a 4.30 ERA in three seasons with the Dodgers since coming over from Japan.

Mets Get Mientkiewicz

The Mets acquired former Gold Glove first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz from the Boston Red Sox for minor league first baseman Ian Bladergroen on Wednesday, January 26th. The 30-year-old Mientkiewicz won the 2001 AL Gold Glove with Minnesota and caught the final out of Boston's World Series sweep of St. Louis last October, the first Series title for the Red Sox since 1918. Mientkiewicz came up to the major leagues with Minnesota in 1998 and was dealt to the Red Sox last July 31st. A career .272 hitter, he slumped to a combined .238 with six homers and 35 RBIs last year for the Twins and Red Sox. Mientkiewicz’s slick fielding will help the Mets’ young infield, which includes third baseman David Wright, shortstop Jose Reyes and second baseman Kaz Matsui. Bladergroen, 21, hit .342 with 13 homers and 74 RBIs in 269 at-bats last year for the Capital City Bombers of the Class A South Atlantic League. He tore cartilage and damaged ligaments in his left wrist on July 1, had surgery and missed the rest of the season.

Carlos Beltran Signs with Mets

The New York Mets won the Carlos Beltran sweepstakes this week and signed the coveted star outfielder to a seven-year contract on Tuesday, January 11th. Beltran began last season with the Kansas City Royals and was traded to Houston in June. He finished the season with a .267 average with 38 home runs, 104 runs batted in and 42 stolen bases in 45 attempts. The 27-year-old switch-hitting center fielder helped the Astros reach the National League Championship Series, where they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. He hit .435 with eight home runs and 14 RBI during the playoffs. Beltran is the second major addition to the Mets in as many months, following the signing of three-time Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez on December 16th. Beltran has a .284 batting average with 146 home runs, 569 RBI and 192 stolen bases during seven major-league seasons. He's driven in at least 100 runs five times, including four consecutive seasons, but had never hit 30 home runs in a season prior to last year.

Mets Sign Pedro

After helping the Boston Red Sox win their first title in 86 years, Pedro Martinez will try to lead the New York Mets to their first championship since 1986. Martinez was introduced at Shea Stadium on December 16th, the day after he passed his physical and the Mets finalized his four-year contract. Martinez, who turned 33 on Oct. 25th, won two of his three Cy Young awards and posted a 117-37 record in seven years with the Red Sox. He brings a career 2.71 ERA, lowest among active major-league pitchers, and was 16-9 last season with a career high 3.90 ERA. Martinez is also the active pitcher with the highest lifetime winning percentage (.705) and the pitcher who has the lowest batting average against (.209) than any other hurler in the game today. Pedro joins Tom Glavine, Kris Benson, Steve Traschel and Victor Zambrano to form one of the best rotations in baseball.

Mets Swap Stanton for Heredia

Mike Stanton and Felix Heredia traded boroughs on December 3rd, crossing town as the Mets and Yankees completed a swap of left-handed relievers. In 2004, Heredia was 1-1 with a 6.28 ERA in 47 regular-season appearances for the Yankees. Heredia has pitched for the Marlins, Cubs and Reds over the course of his nine-year career, logging a 26-15 record with six saves and a 4.50 ERA in 349 2/3 NL innings. Stanton, 37, signed with the Mets before the 2003 season when the Yankees allowed him to leave via free agency. The last two seasons were frustrating for Stanton, who has also pitched with Atlanta, Boston and Texas over a 15-year Major League career. Stanton was healthy most of this past year, but his performance suffered due to overuse. The veteran appeared in 83 games—good for seventh in the Majors and breaking a club record of 80 set by Turk Wendell in 1999—en route to a 2-6 record and a 3.16 ERA.

The deal is the 12th all-time between the Mets and the Yankees, and the first since July 16, 2003, when the Mets sent reliever Armando Benitez across town for reliever Jason Anderson and two minor leaguers.

Randolph Hired as Manager

New York Yankees bench coach Willie Randolph was hired as the New York Mets' manager on Wednesday, November 3rd, replacing former manager Art Howe. The Mets had two straight losing seasons under Howe, including a 71-91 record in the 2004 season that placed the Mets fourth in the National League East. The Mets haven't made the playoffs since falling to the Yankees in the 2000 World Series.

Randolph, 50, was a six-time All-Star during 18 MLB seasons hitting .276 with 54 home runs, 687 RBIs and 1,239 runs scored. He played 1,688 games at second base for the Yankees and was named a team co-captain in 1986. He won World Series titles with the Yankees in 1977 and 1978. Randolph also played for Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Oakland and Milwaukee before ending his career with the Mets in 1992. Randolph was the Yankees' assistant general manager in 1993 and spent the next 10 seasons as their third-base coach before becoming bench coach in 2004.

Minaya Named New GM

The New York Mets named New York native Omar Minaya their new General Manager on Thursday, September 30th. Minaya, who grew up a few blocks from Shea Stadium, spent the last three seasons as the General Manager of the Montreal Expos. He is quite familiar with the New York Mets organization, as he had previously been a senior assistant general manager prior to joining the Expos’ organization. In an effort to lure him back, the team offered Minaya a five-year contract and the title of General Manager and Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. Minaya is known for his ability as a talent evaluator. Minaya replaces Jim Duquette, who was reassigned to the position of Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations. Minaya will be responsible for finding a new head coach to replace Art Howe and rebuilding the team, who finished their season with a losing record (71-91) for the third consecutive season.

Mets Make Moves Before Trade Deadline

As the trading deadline neared on July 31st, the New York Mets opted to make a serious run at the NL East Divisional race by acquiring two right-handed pitchers, Kris Benson and Victor Zambrano. The new hurlers will complete the starting staff, joining Al Leiter, Tom Glavine and Steve Trachsel in a move that should add more consistency throughout the rotation.

In exchange for Benson and minor league infielder Jeff Keppinger from the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Mets traded infielder Ty Wigginton, minor league pitcher Matt Peterson and infielder Jose Bautista, who was acquired earlier in the day from the Kansas City Royals for catcher Justin Huber. The 29-year-old Benson posted a record of 8-8 with a 4.22 ERA in 20 starts for the Pirates this season, but came on strong in his previous five outings before the trade, going 3-1 with a 2.73 ERA.

The Mets acquired Zambrano and fellow right-hander Bartolome Fortunato from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in exchange for highly touted left-handed pitching prospect Scott Kazmir and minor league right-hander Joselo Diaz. Zambrano, a 28-year-old flamethrower who has struggled with his control, has amassed a 9-7 record with a 4.43 ERA this season. In 128 innings, he has walked 96 batters to go along with his 109 strikeouts.

In another pre-deadline move, the Mets traded veteran right-hander Scott Erickson to the Texas Rangers for a player to be named later. Erickson posted a record of 0-1 with a 7.88 ERA in his two starts for the Mets before being designated for assignment on July 28th.

Mets Obtain Hidalgo for Weathers, Griffiths

On Thursday, June 17th, the New York Mets acquired outfielder Richard Hidalgo from the Houston Astros in exchange for pitchers David Weathers and Jeremy Griffiths. While Hidalgo is only hitting .256 this season, he has been a power threat in past seasons, exploding in 2000 with 44 home runs for the Astros. Hidalgo is expected to play right field for the Mets and will combine with Mike Piazza and Cliff Floyd to give the Mets a powerful middle of the order.

The 34-year-old Weathers was signed as an unrestricted free agent prior to the 2002 season and at times was a very effective setup man for New York. He joins a Houston bullpen that is already one of the most formidable in the National League. Griffiths appeared in nine games for the Mets last season and had a record of 5-2 this year at Triple-A Norfolk.

For more Mets news and transactions, please visit our Mets Archives.

Last Updated On: Tuesday, June 17, 2008



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