Bautista traded to Phillies
CHICAGO — Jose Bautista gave the Mets a boost for much of the season, but his value to the team had dissipated in recent weeks.
The veteran outfielder entered a pennant race on Tuesday, when the Mets completed a waiver deal that sent Bautista to the Phillies for a player to be named later or cash.
Bautista had a respectable .351 on-base percentage in 83 games with the Mets — after the Braves released him in May — and helped stabilize a short handed outfield after Yoenis Cespedes and Jay Bruce were placed on the disabled list.
The deal, according to assistant general manager John Ricco, allowed the Mets to clear out playing time for Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo and Bruce at the corner-outfield spots. Austin Jackson will continue in center field.
“A big part of the deal was freeing up that space playing-time wise,” Ricco said. “The second part I think was doing the right thing by Jose. He was a veteran player who came to us and did a nice job both on and off the field. Moving him to a contender, albeit one in our division, it allows Jose to participate in a pennant race and ultimately chase a World Series ring.”
Bautista is the second player traded recently from the Mets to the Phillies: Asdrubal Cabrera was dealt to Philadelphia on July 27.
The Mets could still trade lefty reliever Jerry Blevins before Friday’s deadline for teams to set their rosters for postseason eligibility. Blevins had a scoreless streak of 10 2/3 innings snapped on Monday, when he surrendered two runs against the Cubs.
Anthony Swarzak has resumed throwing and it’s expected he’ll return to the Mets this season. The righty reliever has been a disappointment since arriving last offseason on a two-year deal worth $14 million. Swarzak has spent the last three weeks recovering from a right shoulder inflammation after missing two months with an oblique strain earlier this season.
Nimmo returned from the DL and started in right field. Nimmo had been sidelined for the previous 1 ½ weeks with a bruised left index finger.