In recent days, Jeromy Burnitz thought more and more about becoming a Met, and grew more and more excited. Finally, his dream has became a reality.
The Mets pulled off a complex three-team, 11-player trade with the Rockies and Brewers last night, shipping Todd Zeile and Benny Agbayani to Colorado and left-hander Glendon Rusch and Lenny Harris to Milwaukee.
Besides Burnitz, they will get back outfielder Mark Sweeney, utilityman Lou Collier and pitchers Jeff D’Amico, infielder/outfielder Ross Gload and righty Craig House. Outfielder Alex Ochoa would go from Colorado to Milwaukee.
The centerpiece, however, is Burnitz, and the 32-year-old left-handed slugger is coming back to Flushing, where he played from 1993-94.
The Brewers ponied up an undisclosed amount to the Mets, probably around $750,000, in order to cover the amount of what Agbayani might make in Colorado next season.
The Mets, in turn, are paying Colorado that money and approximately $3.25 of Zeile’s $6 million salary this season. Zeile may yet defer some of his salary in order to get a mutual option to play in Denver for the 2003 season.
The Mets were scheduled to announce the deal last night in a 9 p.m. phone conference.
Earlier in the day, Milwaukee general manager Dean Taylor offered this observation: “Think about Steve Philips and how much he pestered [Cleveland GM Mark] Shapiro to get the Roberto Alomar deal done. Sometimes you don’t get deals done unless you do that.”
Financially, the deal already makes sense for both the Brewers and Rockies. Milwaukee would be rid of Burnitz ($6.5 million in 2002, $18 million over the next two years), D’Amico ($1.8 million), Sweeney ($515,000) and Collier (about $300,000).
That’s about a $9.1 million paring, compared to the $7.25 million they’ll be taking on in Harris ($1.5 million), Rusch (about $3 million) and Ochoa ($2.75 million).
Colorado wanted someone to foot the bill for Agbayani’s $600,000 contract, and the Mets balked until the Brewers offered to pay part of the tab. Agbayani has incentives that could make his 2002 salary $950,000 if he reaches 550 plate appearances.
Taylor says in principle he has no problem paying a little extra to get a deal done.
“It depends upon the overall economics of the deal,” Taylor said. “If you trade a $10 million player and the other team says, ‘Give me $3 million,’ you’d be $7 million to the good. In that environment you’re still saving money.”
Met players have already spoken out in approval of Burnitz’s arrival. John Franco told the Post Friday, “He’ll help us a lot [offensively]. He’s a good outfielder, too.”
