Seattle and the Yankees completed the first waiver wire deal of the season on Wednesday with the Mariners sending RHP Jeff Nelson to New York for RHP Armando Benitez and cash. Each team felt that the swap would bring them a pitcher who better fit their team than the one they were dealing.

While Benitez adjusted fairly well to setup work with the Yankees, New York preferred to go with a pitcher accustomed not only to setup work in general but this job in particular. Although the fact the Yankees haven't won a World Series since Jeff Nelson left the team as a free agent likely didn't escape the New York front office, I don't believe they put too much weight on it. In making this trade the Yankees' sacrificed Benitez's potential for a known commodity.

On the other hand, Seattle dealt for a pitcher with more upside than Nelson. Nelson also actively spoke out against the Mariners' failure to make a substantial move at the trade deadline, and while Seattle maintains his comments did not influence this trade, eliminating a disruptive influence in the clubhouse must be seen as a positive from their perspective. The pitcher friendly environs of Safeco should counteract Benitez's fly ball problems, and observers have long speculated a move away from the New York media would benefit the 30-year-old.

RHP Kazuhiro Sasaki is still a few days away from rejoining the club and when he does return to the pen the Mariners want him to make a couple of appearances in non-save situations before resuming the closer's role. However, Seattle does not intend to dethrone substitute closer RHP Shigetoshi Hasegawa until Sasaki resumes his position. Manager Bob Melvin plans to use Benitez for middle relief and setup work.

As Benitez will not join the Mariners until their game in New York today, Seattle called up RHP J.J. Putz to add an extra arm to the pen for yesterday's game. Seattle drafted Putz out of the University of Michigan with their sixth round pick of the 1999 draft. He spent the remainder of that season at Everett in the Short-season Northwest League before advancing to A Wisconsin in the Midwest League for 2000. Putz jumped past A+ directly to AA San Antonio in the Texas League to start the 2001 season and then split last year between AA and AAA Tacoma in the Pacific Coast League.

We thought Putz would break camp in the Mariners pen, but they sent him back to AAA a few days before the start of the season. Over 77.2 IP at AAA in 2003, Putz has compiled a 53:32 K:BB with 63 H and 4 HR allowed for a 2.67 ERA over 34 appearances. The 26-year-old isn't particularly dominant and I'd like to see him improve his control, however he offers the Mariners a middle reliever who can go more than an inning at a time. Seattle will demote RHP Aaron Looper to make room for Benitez on the roster, though Looper should be back in September.