The Mets made a move today trading bullpen suspect Brian Stokes to the Angels for one time decent player Gary Matthews Jr. Matthews has never been what one would call an overachiever. Always seemed to have decent skills but never put them to work. His biggest season coming with the Rangers in 2006 hitting 19 home runs and 79 RBI’s.

It is a good pick up for what the Mets need. They obviously don’t have any use for Stokes. Matthews can cover center field in the first month of the season when Carlos Beltran will still be rehabbing his bum leg. The best part of this deal is that it seems the Angels will cover a good portion of the money that is owed to Matthews.

On a side note. Matthews had his name mentioned in the Mitchell report. Word is that he was shipped HGH. He never admitted to ever using. Who knows and who cares if he is on the list of positive testers from that list in 2003. He never broke any records and he never will.