White Sox Sign J.J. Putz

"The White Sox signed relief pitcher J.J. Putz to a one-year, $3 million contract on Friday. Putz can make another $3.25 million in incentives, but that figure is based on him closing games all season. Putz, who was the closer for the Seattle Mariners from 2006 to 2008, signed a free-agent contract in 2008 with the New York Mets before being released last season. He went 1-4 with a 5.22 ERA in 29 games with the Mets. Putz is rehabbing an elbow injury. The White Sox have watched him pitch extensively in Phoenix as have upwards of 10 teams (ESPN)."

If Putz is healthy this could be a great signing by the White Sox. You add him along with lefty Matt Thornton and you have two great setup guys to go along with a good closer in Booby Jenks. Obviously it will all come down to his health, because he is 100% he can shutdown just about anyone.

Mets To Let J.J. Putz Go

"The New York Mets are prepared to part ways with reliever J.J. Putz. Ben Shpigel of the New York Times reports that the Mets do not plan to exercise their $9.1 million option on Putz and will pay him a $1 million buyout. While Putz will be free to sign with any team, Shpigel writes "it would be hard to imagine him returning to the Mets (ESPN)."

Just another great signing by the Mets. At Least they can actually get out of this contract. I had no problem with what the Mets did with their bullpen, but when you forget to sign a starting rotation it really doesn't matter who else you have. I have said it before and I'll say it again, if the Mets were smart they would try to trade away almost everyone and attempt to build their farm system, which isn't very good (especially weak in pitching). I doubt they will so expect at least another 5 years of the Mets being terrible.