MET NOTES
ATLANTA – Scott Erickson, we hardly knew ye.
In the Mets’ fourth trade in the two days before yesterday’s trade deadline, they sent Erickson to Texas for a player to be named later.
The 36-year-old Erickson made two starts for the Mets – one good, one terrible. He finished with a 7.88 ERA, allowing seven earned runs in eight innings.
The Mets will pay a portion of Erickson’s $700,000 salary, and the Rangers will pick up the rest.
GM Jim Duquette said there was nothing else that he was close on before the deadline that didn’t get done due to time restraints, failure to agree, etc. But he is still looking for help in the bullpen and on the bench and felt optimistic the Mets could pull off a deal now that the non-waiver deadline has passed.
The Mets also designated Shane Spencer for assignment. Spencer, you might have heard, has had an eventful couple of weeks, from cutting his right heel on a piece of glass, to getting arrested for DUI in Port St. Lucie, to getting suspended without pay.
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After missing two games with a sprained right ankle, Jose Reyes returned to the starting lineup last night. Reyes said he still felt a little soreness but was convinced he could play.
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Scott Kazmir was crestfallen upon learning the news he had been dealt out of the Mets organization. Kazmir was the main piece sent to Tampa for Victor Zambrano.
“To be completely honest with you, I’m heartbroken,” Kazmir told the Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin. “I just went over to [manager Ken Oberkfell] and said, ‘Did I do something? What did I do wrong?’ ”
Kazmir also said the Mets would rue trading him, saying, “Basically, I just want to show them the mistake they made. Maybe this is the right path for me. Who knows?”
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The Mets typically don’t like to negotiate contracts in-season, but Duquette allowed that when it comes to free agent-to-be Kris Benson, “This might be an exception.” There are already strong indications Benson will be re-signed.
