After All That Hoopla, Wagner Goes to the Red Sox

@SI_JonHeyman: SNY says mets get 2 players to be named for wagner

@HackswithHaggs: Billy Wagner's agent, Bean Stringfellow, emailed me...Wagner waived his no-trade. Stringfellow: "He changed his mind last minute." #redsox

10 minutes before the deadline, the Red Sox got their man: Billy Wagner is going from the New York Mets to the Boston Red Sox for two players to be named later. The Red Sox are picking up the entire contract and agreeing to decline the option. That means they’ll be playing him more than 2 million dollars for 5 weeks. But they retain the rights to offer him salary arbitration which could net them some draft picks.

Wagner could be a very, very dangerous weapons for the Red Sox down the stretch and in October if he’s healthy. The bullpen has not been good as of late and Daniel Bard has struggled in his ascension to the Hall of Fame. Wagner has not been good in October but maybe in a role as a set-up man, he’ll thrive. The Red Sox have two VERY dangerous lefties out of the ‘pen now with Hideki Okajima and Wagner. This is definitely not a team I want to face in October.

This was also a far cry from earlier reports. First there was the back-and-forth tiff between Papelbon and Wagner. The Wagnerian drama continued to play out yesterday. Then Wagner said he’d only approve a deal if his 2010 option was picked up. Then the Red Sox were gifted a win despite a poor pitching effort. Then reports came out today that Wagner blocked the deal because of health concerns.

And now he’s on the Red Sox despite having only pitched twice this season, a $2+ million salary, health concerns, a tiff with a teammate who compared him to super-bust Eric Gagne, and the fact he hasn’t been good in October (8.71 ERA). And yet, for some reason, as a Yankee fan, I’m not all that thrilled.

 

(picture from MLB.com)