The Mets traded Brian Stokes, a middle reliever, for washed up OF Gary Matthews Jr.  Matthews had a decent year in Texas in 2006, ironically a contract year, and has been terrible ever since signing a 5-year/$50 million deal with the Angels before the 2007 season.  It was by far the worst contract in Angels history.  Matthews Jr. is an above average fielder but is now 35 and possess zero offensive skills.  I am bashing the crap out of him right now because I knew he wasn’t going to be good, you can just tell.

Matthews Jr. is still owed $23 million over the next two years and the Angels are paying $21.5 million of that to ship him off to the Mets.  Obviously the Angels were going to have to pay a huge chunk of money or the deal would not have been done.  Matthews Jr. will compete for the starting CF position with Pagan until Beltran comes back.

Grade for the Mets: D; I fully expect Matthews Jr. to get out played for that temporary CF position and then be demoted to 3rd on the depth chart in CF once Beltran comes back.  What a joke of a move.