Thursday Trade Tracker: Three Team Trade in 2008 when Mets got a Putz.

The 2007 Mets collapse is widely considered one of the most significant and painful meltdowns in Major League History. After leading the National League East for 159 days, the team blew an infamous seven-game lead with only 17 games to play.

The team lost 12 of their final 17 games. Entering the final game of the season, the Mets were still tied with the Phillies. In what seems like a constant happening, the team only had to beat the long dormant, nothing to play for Marlins to keep hopes alive.

The Marlins proceeded to score 7 runs in the top of the first inning against future Hall of Famer Tom Glavine. Glavine only got one out. The bullpen actually pitched 8.2 innings only giving up one more run, but it was too late. Marlins 8, Mets 1. Season over.

Glavine didn't ease the pain with this quote after the game. "I'm not devastated. I'm disappointed. Devastation is for much greater things in life." We agree with you, that family, life and death are more important...BUT READ THE ROOM, Tom! You'll always be a Braves castoff. No need to wonder why he will never be invited to any Old Timer's Day festivities.

Future quotes by Glavine include "It's bothered me more than any game I've ever pitched" (Too late, Tom). "I wish people could get past that a little" (Still hurts). "I'm not defined by baseball" (Then give back your millions and Hall of Fame plaque. You are defined by baseball, and that's a good thing, buddy).

Surprising stat: Glavine is 12th all time in Mets history with 61 victories.

Lowlights during that end of season losing stretch: Guillermo Mota giving up a lead to the Phillies as he faced three batters and walked two. Luis Castillo made an error on the other batter faced. (Did anyone else shutter at the mention of Castillo?)

Really soft-tossing Brian Lawrence (6.35 ERA) getting a start and getting pounded. John Maine giving up 8 runs on 11 hits in 4 innings in a Washington loss. Jorge Sosa giving up 3 runs in the ninth to blow a lead. Mike Pelfrey and Mota getting crushed in a 13-4 loss to Washington. Glavine giving up 6 runs in 5 innings in another Nationals loss.

The Mets starting a just called up minor leaguer Phillip Humber and handing him the ball in a pennant important situation. He had very little and got hit hard. Yes, that's the same Miracle Man who would throw a perfect game for the White Sox.

They would lose to St. Louis, getting shut out by the memorable Joel Pineiro. Oliver Perez then gave up an early 6 runs in a Florida loss. The game stories are practically the same. The Mets pitching put them in gargantuan holes each and every night.

They depended on names like Pelfrey (5.57 ERA), Scott Schoeneweis (5.03), and Aaron Sele (5.37). They needed pitching help.

The 2008 Mets traded for Cy Young Winner Johan Santana and signed All-time saves seasonal record holder Francisco Rodriguez to help. For 2009, they tried for more.

They went for a big one, 6 foot 5 inch right hander J. J. Putz. In 2006, the Mariner ace had 36 saves with a 2.30 ERA. In 2007, he saved 40 with a Diaz-like 1.38 ERA. 2008 was a down year for him, 3.88 ERA, which was the only reason they could get him in the first place.

DECEMBER 11, 2008

Mets get RHP Sean Green, RHP J.J. Putz and OF Jeremy Reed. Indians get RHP Joe Smith and INF Luis Valbuena. Mariners get 1B Mike Carp, OF Ezequiel Carrera, OF Endy Chavez, RHP Maikel Cleto, RHP Aaron Heilman, LHP Jason Vargas, and OF Franklin Gutierrez.

As soon as Putz (pronounced "puts") tried on the orange and blue, the usual happened. Injuries and poor performance. He had only 2 saves with a 5.22 ERA. He later moved on to the White Sox and was even better with Arizona. In 2011, he saved 45 games with a 2.17 ERA because...of course he did.

In 2012, he saved another 32 with a 2.82 ERA. The submarine throwing Green (again, no relation) did his usual performance, which was nothing special. Pitching around 70 games with a high to mid 4's ERA.

Reed, mostly a backup in his 8 year career, hit .242 in his 161 Mets at-bats without a homer.

What did the Mets give up?

Carp, Carrera, and Cleto had short careers. Chavez was a true Mets hero in 2006. He hit .306 filling in for the often injured Cliff Floyd and got key hits constantly. He will always be cherished in Mets lore for a game saving catch in the 2006 playoffs. It is often mentioned as one of the best catches in post-season history. Chavez continued to be a valuable bench member for three teams in his post-Mets career.

Vargas, a soft-tossing lefty, actually won 99 games in his career. Highlights include an 18 win All Star season with Kansas City in 2017. Lowlights include a Mets return in 2018 and a near riot in the clubhouse with a reporter and the volatile Mickey Callaway. (Do we have to still chant "Fire Mickey?")

Aaron Heilman, a first round draft choice, pitched six frustrating seasons as a Met. Heilman was known for giving up a ninth inning homer to Yadier Molina in the 9th inning of Game 7 in the 2006 NLCS to prevent the Mets from getting to the World Series. Are you still blaming Carlos Beltran? I'm blaming Heilman. Debate me in the comments!

The most valuable player in this entire trade was Joe Smith. Another submariner, Joe was the last active Met to have played in Shea Stadium. Smith pitched 15 years in the majors. He pitched 866 games in the majors with only a 3.14 ERA spread over 8 teams.

His 82 games pitched for the Mets in 2008 is still the 5th most in team history (behind Mike Stanton and three seasons by Perpetual Pedro Feliciano). Heilman is 6th with 81 pitched in 2007. Sean Green is 9th with 79 in 2009. Closers like Edwin Diaz, Jesse Orosco and John Franco do not appear in the top 50 seasons for games pitched.

TEACHER SAYS F. Awful trade! Putz was injured and ineffective. Endy still had some juice and Smith pitched remarkably well forever.

Indians got Smith and Valbuena for Gutierrez.

Gutierrez hit 97 homers, but never did more than an 18 homer, 70 RBI season. Since Smith pitched 5 good years for them, TEACHER SAYS B for Cleveland.

Mariners got Carp, Carerra, Chavez, Cleto, Heilman, Vargas, and Gutierrez for Putz, Green, and Reed.

TEACHER SAYS B. Gutierrez gave Seattle 2 decent years. Quantity is not always qualtity.

NEXT WEEK: Another three team deal with names that you might like (Zeile, Agbayani) and some you might not (Burnitz, Ochoa).