Emotion overcame José Buttó.
When Buttó realized throughout Wednesday’s sport that he was being traded to the San Francisco Giants, the veteran reliever appeared to choke again tears as he mentioned his goodbyes within the Mets’ bullpen and dugout.
A commerce had not been on Buttó’s radar.
Buttó, 27, was a part of the bundle the Mets despatched to the Giants for high-leverage reliever Tyler Rogers.
The commerce occurred whereas the Mets had been in San Diego, however as a result of the Giants had been going to Queens for this weekend’s collection, Buttó rode the Mets’ airplane again to New York. Rogers flew with the Giants to New York.
By then, Buttó mentioned, he had already processed that he was altering groups for the primary time.
The Venezuelan-born right-hander signed with the Mets as a 19-year-old worldwide free agent in 2017, then made his MLB debut with them in 2022.
“My time with the Mets was really great,” Buttó mentioned by means of a Giants interpreter. “Really grateful for the opportunity. … Can’t say enough about the organization, the fans, but I’m happy here with the Giants and just looking forward to the opportunity.”
Initially a starter, Buttó transitioned to a bullpen position final season and rapidly emerged as a flexible weapon, typically being requested to pitch a number of innings or to get the Mets out of a jam.
He completed his Mets profession with an 11-9 file, a 3.44 ERA and 4 saves in 75 appearances, together with 15 begins, over elements of 4 MLB seasons.
“Nothing but great things to say about him,” supervisor Carlos Mendoza mentioned. “With his ability to take the ball, we’ve used him in a lot of different roles. He’s a great teammate, a great human and, obviously, we’re going to miss him, but it’s the business. We all understand that.”
Buttó obtained a scoreboard video tribute throughout Friday’s collection opener at Citi Subject, then entered the sport within the eighth inning with runners on the corners and one out.
Pete Alonso lifted a game-tying sacrifice fly, dealing Buttó a blown save, earlier than the Giants gained, 4-3, in 10 innings.
“I faced him in spring training, so I’m like, alright, how do I go back in the memory bank here?” Alonso mentioned, including, “He didn’t give up a hit, but I had a good swing, had a productive at-bat. We’ll call it a tie.”
Buttó’s in-game response to the commerce harkened again to July 29, 2015, when then-Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores broke down in tears on the sphere after studying he was set to be traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for Carlos Gomez.
That commerce in the end fell by means of attributable to Gomez’s failed bodily, and Flores remained with the Mets by means of 2018.
In one other little bit of baseball surrealism, Flores and Buttó are actually teammates with the Giants.
“I just met him,” Buttó mentioned, “but I’m sure that eventually, I will have an opportunity to sit down, talk to him and pick his brain.”
VERLANDER TIES
The Buttó-Rogers commerce caught the eye of Justin Verlander, now of the Giants.
That’s as a result of the Mets additionally included outfield prospect Drew Gilbert, whom they’d acquired two years earlier after they traded Verlander to the Houston Astros earlier than the 2023 deadline.
“I remember when I got to Houston, he was the hold-up, because Houston thought very highly of him and didn’t want to let him go,” Verlander, 42, mentioned Friday at Citi Subject.
Verlander made solely 16 begins with the Mets earlier than they traded him to Houston, the place he had spent the earlier six years and gained two World Collection.
The Mets additionally despatched veteran co-ace Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers earlier than that deadline as they tried to retool their farm system amid a misplaced season.
“That year was so different [than this one] because of the conversations I was having behind doors with Steve [Cohen], and kind of the direction of the team,” Verlander mentioned. “That was different for me.”
The Giants had been sellers at this yr’s deadline, additionally buying and selling nearer Camilo Doval to the Yankees and outfielder Mike Yastrzemski to the Kansas Metropolis Royals.
However they stored Verlander, who’s 1-8 with a 4.54 ERA and taking part in on a one-year contract.
“I thought there might be a chance [of being traded], but I wasn’t really pressing the issue one way or the other,” Verlander mentioned.
“Was just kind of like, ‘Let the cards fall where they may.’ I’m enjoying being in San Francisco. I’m enjoying living there. My family’s there. I have a newborn. It wouldn’t be the easiest life decision to go somewhere else.”
REGULAR REST
The Mets plan to stay with a five-man workers by means of the following flip within the rotation, which means David Peterson is in line to pitch Wednesday on customary 4 days’ relaxation.
Peterson struggled in his earlier two begins on common relaxation, permitting 5 runs apiece to the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates in June.
“We’ll continue to monitor it, but we feel good,” Mendoza mentioned Saturday. “They understand that at some point throughout the year, you’re gonna take the ball on regular rest. Petey’s done it. We’re not concerned at all.”
Peterson, a first-time All-Star this season, is 7-4 with a 2.83 ERA over a career-high 127 innings.
The Mets typically discover methods to offer additional relaxation to their starters, together with Clay Properties, who transformed from a full-time reduction position, and Kodai Senga, who was accustomed to pitching as soon as every week in Japan.
Fellow starters Tylor Megill and Paul Blackburn are on the injured checklist, whereas Griffin Canning is out for the yr with a ruptured Achilles, all of which impacts the Mets’ depth.
The Mets’ subsequent scheduled off day is Thursday.
Initially Printed: August 2, 2025 at 2:53 PM EDT
