Benson for Julio done

[Beckett95]

Newsday

January 21, 2006, 1:21 PM EST

 

The Mets have agreed to trade Kris Benson to the Orioles for reliever Jorge Julio and righthanded pitching prospect John Maine, Newsday has learned.

 

The Benson-for-Julio swap, which was discussed months ago, was revived early in the week and agreed to late Friday night.

 

The Mets discussed trading Benson for much of the winter. This deal enables them to give Aaron Heilman an opportunity to win the No. 5 slot in the starting rotation. Heilman, whose stock soared last year, had requested a trade if he wasn't made a starter.

 

Mets general manager Omar Minaya is said to like Julio's power arm. Julio, who's been clocked as high as 99 mph and reminds some of Armando Benitez, saved 83 games from 2002-04. However, his value fell after being hit hard last year after his demotion from closer to set-up man. Julio, who turns 27 in March, was 3-5 with a 5.90 ERA. Overall he is 11-24 with a 4.20 ERA.

 

Maine, 24, gives the Mets yet another hard thrower. Maine was 2-3 with a 6.30 ERA for the Orioles last year. In 40 innings, he allowed 39 hits while walking 24 and striking out 24.

 

Benson, 31, was 10-8 with a 4.13 ERA in 2005 after re-signing with the Mets for $22.5 million over three years. Benson is talented but has been perceived as underachieving since the Pirates made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft.

 

The deal is a two-for-two trade for the Mets in a way in that Benson's wife Anna had become a colorful, constant presence around the Mets.

 

Heilman was 4-1 with a 2.27 ERA for Licey, D.R. in winter ball. He asked the Mets to trade him if he weren't made a starter.

 

Newsday exclusively reported the teams were back in serious discussions about the Benson-for-Julio trade in Saturday's editions.

 

i think this is a bad move on the mets part. They need SP. Maybe maine can contribute as a starter for them.

 

right now the mets rotation isn't very good except for pedro

 

1. Pedro

2. Glavine

3. Trachsel

4. Zambrano

5. Heilman

[AlexanderTheGreat13]

Agreed, very poor trade for the Mets. Unless they are clearing money to trade for Zito and sign him to an extension(which I doubt when you consider they are unwilling to deal Lastings Millidge) this is a poor trade for them.

[26 to 6]

i think this is a bad move on the mets part. They need SP. Maybe maine can contribute as a starter for them.

 

right now the mets rotation isn't very good except for pedro

 

1. Pedro

2. Glavine

3. Trachsel

4. Zambrano

5. Heilman

Agreed. But I also think its good to get Benson out of here. I wish we hadnt traded Seo so that he and Heilman could compete for the number 5 spot, but it looks like that will be going to Heilman, because his current competition doesnt seem to be too threatening. Iriki doesnt project to be much of a pitcher in the bigs, so I dont forsee him beating out Heilman. But this also weakens our setup role, I would rather have Heilman over Julio. Julio can throw hard but has absolutely no control. Oh well, good move in the fact that it redcues salary (something the Mets have been subtly doing all offseason with the departures of Cameron for Nady and Seo to the Dodgers, who soon will make a nice little check via arbitration, etc.). Hopefully Omar can pull off something for Zito come July if Oakland is out of it (I dont see beane trading him now).

[26 to 6]

And bad news for Benson's former teammates.

And for us fans

[Cityofchampions33]

well its not bad in the act that they had 6 starters and they got what they cold for him. Maine has some potential and could help them when Glavine goes, and Julio will give them the set up man they wanted Baez for.

[Moose]

Check out this thread title. LOL.

 

http://www.letsgokings.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=19249

[26 to 6]

And for us fans

http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/8909/annabenson0jf.jpg

 

http://www.annabenson.net/gallery.htm

 

...despite that fact that she is annoying as hell, I am going to miss that!

[26 to 6]

well its not bad in the act that they had 6 starters and they got what they cold for him. Maine has some potential and could help them when Glavine goes, and Julio will give them the set up man they wanted Baez for.

Agreed, I like Maine, so its not too bad a deal, I just wish we had some more insurance.

[Soxfan1]

Damn Benson got lucky as hell.

[stocker323]

All the Millar-Anna Benson possibilities are making me giddy.

[RedSoxRooter]

Damn. The Mets are going for it. And thank GOD Julio is out of the AL East. I hate that guy.

[a700hitter]

All the Millar-Anna Benson possibilities are making me giddy.

That's funny.

[riverside sluggers]

Just my opinion, but Benson is going to be lit up by the AL batting lineups, especially the Sox & Yankees.

 

Good to see Julio gone, he had given Boston fits in his career with a 2.70 ERA, and a 1.50 ERA when pitching at Fenway

[krazeebrainz]

Riverside,

 

I agree. I think that Benson is going to sport a mid-4 E.R.A. at best this season. He doesn't have anything that is head topping...I think that Mr. Ortiz will give him a warm welcome when the O's come to town. Get out your tape measurer boys...

[26 to 6]

Just my opinion, but Benson is going to be lit up by the AL batting lineups, especially the Sox & Yankees.

 

Good to see Julio gone, he had given Boston fits in his career with a 2.70 ERA, and a 1.50 ERA when pitching at Fenway

I agree. I wasnt too impressed with Benson's up and down performances in the NL, cant expect him to be any better in the powerful AL East.

[26 to 6]

I agree. I wasnt too impressed with Benson's up and down performances in the NL, cant expect him to be any better in the powerful AL East.

Get out your tape measurer boys...

 

lol, thats right

[AlexanderTheGreat13]

Julio is far from good imo. He throws a stright fastball and a hard slider that he has little command over. He always melts in pressure situations. They did take the closers job away from him and I think its telling even with Ryan gone they wouldnt give the job back to him. Benson might suck in the AL but he was ok with the Mets and with Seo gone there roation takes a hit.

[RedSoxRooter]

I agree that Julio is not that great. But he has absolutely killed the Red Sox for like 3 years.

[a700hitter]

I agree that Julio is not that great. But he has absolutely killed the Red Sox for like 3 years.

I'm glad he is gone.:thumbsup:

[elsrbueno]

I think the Orioles got robbed in this deal.

 

Benson for Julio and Maine?

 

John Maine is a young power arm who hasn't done much at the majors yet, but at 24 has shown some promise. He had a pretty good 7.78 K/9 in AAA and really has just 43 innings at the Major League level. He broke into the league in (IMO) the most talented division in baseball, pitching in a pitchers' park.

 

Jorge Julio is not dominant, but still had a 7.28 K/9 and at 27 is still considered on the upswing of his career. He needs to work on his control sure, but getting out of Camden Yards and the AL East will certainly HELP him.

 

Kris Benson on the other hand, pitching in a weak division and a pitcher's park, had a 4.13 ERA and a 4.90 K/9 ratio. John Maine in his limited work had a higher ratio than that (5.40).

 

In my mind, it stands to reason that in 2006 John Maine and Jorge Julio will both get BETTER in their new environments. Better parks, weaker competition, no DH being the primary factors. On the flip side, Kris Benson should get worse as a result of the very same factors.

 

If the Orioles offered me John Maine for Kris Benson straight up I'd think long and hard about it. Adding a power arm like Julio only seals the deal.

 

GREAT trade for the Mets IMO-- and who says Maine can't compete for the #5 spot in the rotation out of spring training?