Benitez Takes The Shuttle To The Bronx

After literally months of speculation, the New York Mets finally traded quixotic closer Armando Benitez to their cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees, in exchange for three obscure minor league prospects. Over in the New York Times, Rafael Hermoso is wondering if this will all work out:

A question for the Yankees was whether Benitez could succeed as a setup man for Mariano Rivera, the postseason antithesis of Benitez. As trade speculation began this season, Benitez seemed reluctant to assume such a role, but recently he has warmed to the idea in his public comments.

And why wouldn't he? Has everyone forgotten that when Benitez first arrived in New York with the Mets in 1998, he was the team's set-up man, and only gradually supplanted incumbent closer John Franco?

This is the role that Benitez ought be able to warm to easily. Now that the 9th inning pressure is off, I expect him to excel. And the Yankees ought to as well.

POSTSCRIPT: With Benitez gone, closing duties in Queens will fall to Franco, something that sets up a bit of an interesting conundrum for the Mets. Franco ranks second all-time in saves with 422, 56 saves behind career leader Lee Smith. Even with the Mets continuing to play their sub-.500 brand of baseball, he could very well finish the season with 20 saves, something that would leave him within striking distance of Smith by the start of the 2004 season.

In the past, Franco has exercised what one might term "outsize" influence on Mets owner Fred Wilpon. Might the Mets delay the development of any one of a number of prospective closers (Royce Ring being just one) they've acquired over the last two weeks, in order to give Franco a chance at the record?

Eric 06:13 AM

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