Seattle Trades Heilman Before He Can Implode M’s

Ok, that’s not fair. But still, it was somewhat surprising to see that Seattle dealt the former Mets bullpen blower-uper before he even threw a pitch in the Pacific Northwest.

If you haven’t heard the news, the M’s sent Heilman to the Cubs for Ronny Cedeno and Garrett Olson. This coming only a month or so after Seattle acquired Heilman from the Mets in the JJ Putz deal.

Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik, speaking about the deal, rattled off one of the best lines ever: "We were excited to acquire him, and sorry to trade him." Priceless. Only Heilman.

But this is good news, I suppose, for Aaron.

Every Met fan knows that while Heilman was toting his gas can to the mound in the 7th and/or 8th, his heart was always set on being a starter instead of relieving.

It appears he’ll have a chance to audition for the rotation in Chicago…well, a better chance than he would have had in Seattle, anyway. After the Cubs’ four solid starters (Zambrano, Harden, Dempster, Lilly), Sean Marshall should figure to be Heilman’s top competition for the 5th slot.

So it’ll be put up or shut up time for Heilman. Here’s his chance to prove what he’s been telling the Mets all along.

At 30, this will probably be the last chance Heilman gets to start. Personally, I don’t see him locking up the job. The Cubs have some live arms breathing down his neck; Marshall, Chad Gaudin, Jeff Samardzija and Rich Hill to name a few.

Heilman will also have to perform under a considerable microscope in Wrigley, and if we learned anything from his tenure in New York, he doesn’t often thrive in pressure situations.

On second thought, maybe the M’s didn’t do Heilman a favor. He’d probably have a better chance of thriving while pitching in the relative anonymity of Seattle.

Either way, I’d like to see him do well. Despite his struggles in New York, Heilman was always accountable after his meltdowns, which is more than you can say for 90% of athletes in New York.

Matt Estreich for The Huddle