Baseball Guru
04-05-2002, 09:21 PM
By Associated Press
April 5, 2002, 7:11 PM EST
ATLANTA -- The New York Mets acquired Montreal closer Scott Strickland on Friday, sending Bruce Chen and two minor leaguers to the Expos.
Strickland, a 25-year-old right-hander, appeared in a career-high 77 games last season. He went 2-6 with nine saves and a 3.21 ERA in 81 1-3 innings with 41 walks and 85 strikeouts.
The teams also swapped a pair of minor leaguers. Outfielder Matt Watson and left-handed pitcher Philip Seibel came to the Mets, while right-hander Dicky Gonzalez and infielder Luis Figueroa went to the Expos. In addition, Montreal received a player to be named.
The Mets had been looking for relief help following an injury to left-hander John Franco.
"Our bullpen was in need of a little more experience," Mets manager Bobby Valentine said. "I needed someone who could pitch a little later in the game."
He said it didn't matter that Strickland, a right-hander will be filling the role of Franco.
"We got high quality," Valentine said. "Strickland gives us things that Bruce didn't -- late-game experience, ability to pitch multiple innings and he's more of a strikeout pitcher than Bruce."
This was the second deal between the Mets and Montreal since Omar Minaya, New York's former senior assistant general manager, was hired as GM of the Expos by major league baseball. The first sent infielder Lou Collier to Montreal for a pair of minor leaguers.
"The ability to get Bruce Chen and Dicky Gonzalez gives us some depth in our starting pitching," Minaya said in Cincinnati before the Expos played the Reds. "Also, we have five right-handers now. To be able to get a left-handed starter, that turns things around a little. It gives us a different look."
Minaya said he had been discussing the deal with the Mets for the past two weeks.
"What they were looking for was to be able to adjust their eighth-inning situation with Franco being down," Minaya said.
Strickland, who pitched one scoreless inning for the Expos this season, was scheduled to report for Friday night's game against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.
Valentine said Chen would now be able to start in Montreal, a role he would rather fill than being in the bullpen.
"We were counting on him to pitch in the bullpen this year, a role that he took to reluctantly, but was going to give it his all," said Valentine.
"I didn't think it was really fair for Bruce to be put in that situation. I was going to protect him any way I could until he developed. Now we don't have to worry about that, he'll be a starter where he belongs," he said.
Watson and Seibel were assigned to Double-A Binghamton of the Eastern League.
Chen, 24, was 3-2 with a 4.68 ERA in 11 starts last season for the Mets after being acquired July 27 from Philadelphia. Overall, he was 7-7 with a 5.00 ERA.
The left-hander, who began his career with the Braves, started this season in the Mets bullpen.
Gonzalez, 23, pitched in 16 games -- including seven starts -- for the Mets last season, going 3-2 with 4.88 ERA. This season, pitched at Triple-A Norfolk.
Also, New York claimed infielder Marcos Scutaro off waivers from Milwaukee and optioned him to Norfolk. In addition, outfielder Chris Latham -- claimed off waivers last week from Toronto -- accepted his assignment to Norfolk and infielder Andy Tracy cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Tides.
April 5, 2002, 7:11 PM EST
ATLANTA -- The New York Mets acquired Montreal closer Scott Strickland on Friday, sending Bruce Chen and two minor leaguers to the Expos.
Strickland, a 25-year-old right-hander, appeared in a career-high 77 games last season. He went 2-6 with nine saves and a 3.21 ERA in 81 1-3 innings with 41 walks and 85 strikeouts.
The teams also swapped a pair of minor leaguers. Outfielder Matt Watson and left-handed pitcher Philip Seibel came to the Mets, while right-hander Dicky Gonzalez and infielder Luis Figueroa went to the Expos. In addition, Montreal received a player to be named.
The Mets had been looking for relief help following an injury to left-hander John Franco.
"Our bullpen was in need of a little more experience," Mets manager Bobby Valentine said. "I needed someone who could pitch a little later in the game."
He said it didn't matter that Strickland, a right-hander will be filling the role of Franco.
"We got high quality," Valentine said. "Strickland gives us things that Bruce didn't -- late-game experience, ability to pitch multiple innings and he's more of a strikeout pitcher than Bruce."
This was the second deal between the Mets and Montreal since Omar Minaya, New York's former senior assistant general manager, was hired as GM of the Expos by major league baseball. The first sent infielder Lou Collier to Montreal for a pair of minor leaguers.
"The ability to get Bruce Chen and Dicky Gonzalez gives us some depth in our starting pitching," Minaya said in Cincinnati before the Expos played the Reds. "Also, we have five right-handers now. To be able to get a left-handed starter, that turns things around a little. It gives us a different look."
Minaya said he had been discussing the deal with the Mets for the past two weeks.
"What they were looking for was to be able to adjust their eighth-inning situation with Franco being down," Minaya said.
Strickland, who pitched one scoreless inning for the Expos this season, was scheduled to report for Friday night's game against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.
Valentine said Chen would now be able to start in Montreal, a role he would rather fill than being in the bullpen.
"We were counting on him to pitch in the bullpen this year, a role that he took to reluctantly, but was going to give it his all," said Valentine.
"I didn't think it was really fair for Bruce to be put in that situation. I was going to protect him any way I could until he developed. Now we don't have to worry about that, he'll be a starter where he belongs," he said.
Watson and Seibel were assigned to Double-A Binghamton of the Eastern League.
Chen, 24, was 3-2 with a 4.68 ERA in 11 starts last season for the Mets after being acquired July 27 from Philadelphia. Overall, he was 7-7 with a 5.00 ERA.
The left-hander, who began his career with the Braves, started this season in the Mets bullpen.
Gonzalez, 23, pitched in 16 games -- including seven starts -- for the Mets last season, going 3-2 with 4.88 ERA. This season, pitched at Triple-A Norfolk.
Also, New York claimed infielder Marcos Scutaro off waivers from Milwaukee and optioned him to Norfolk. In addition, outfielder Chris Latham -- claimed off waivers last week from Toronto -- accepted his assignment to Norfolk and infielder Andy Tracy cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Tides.