Old Faces in New Places - J.J. Putz

2008 statistics:
6-5, 3.88 era, 1.60 whip
15/23 saves
56 k, 28 bb

Background:

J.J. started 2008 with the same high hopes as his team, the Mariners. Having come off a season for the record books in 2007, he hoped to at least perform at the same level. However, the injury bug hit Putz early, getting his season off to a bad start. He returned in late April, but struggled, eventually landing on the DL again in June, and returned for good in late July. His 2008 season, while not terrible, was not nearly what was expected back in April. During the off-season, J.J. was traded to the New York Mets as part of a three-team deal with the Indians. However, this was not long after Francisco Rodriguez had been signed by the Mets to close.

Analysis:

The stats show that J.J. appeared to have regressed over the span of last season, most likely related to the injuries he suffered during the season. A major portion of his value was tied with his holding down a closer job in the major leagues, and with his new team he is very unlikely to receive many save chances. Barring an injury to K-Rod, I would expect him to potentially get some saves if there are opportunities on multiple days in a row.

J.J. does still provide some value, especially if he can return to some facsimile of the form he had in 2007, where he was striking out over 6 batters to every walk he allowed. If your league setup allows for holds, strikeout-walk ratio, or a lot of pitcher lineup spots, he would be a huge asset. I would think he would be worth a flier, and definitely worth monitoring K-Rod for. He would easily be the first in line for save chances should K-Rod get injured during the season.

A minor concern, as with all the pitchers involved, is his accepting a spot on Team USA for the World Baseball Classic. My only concern involved would be that he may become more fatigued than normal by the end of the season. Something to pay attention to.

Conclusions and Predictions:

J.J. will be able to adjust to the New York spotlight somewhat in the background, as he is not expected to come in and replace Billy Wagner, and was not paid to come to New York. If he stays healthy this season, he should provide an excellent pitcher to the Mets, and could provide some good value to his fantasy owners as well. Keep an eye on him in the later rounds of your draft, although it is likely in at least a few leagues that someone will draft him like he is a closer. Clearly he will not be for the foreseeable future, but as a late round flier he could provide value, like Jonathan Broxton or Carlos Marmol in years' past.

WG Predicted Stat Ranges:
5 -7 saves
25-35 holds
75 innings pitched
2.75 - 3.00 era
90 strikeouts, 20 walks