The Mets traded backup catcher Jason "Gogs" Phillips for lefty Kazuhisa "Kaz" Ishii. Here's what the Mets got:
IP ERA K/9 K/BB HR/9
2002 154.0 4.27 8.36 1.35 1.17
2003 147.0 3.86 8.57 1.39 0.98
2004 172.0 4.71 5.18 1.01 1.10
The K/9 were outstanding in '02 and '03, and lousy in 2004. The K/BB were terrible in '02 and '03, and borderline-criminal in 2004. The HR/9 have been solid throughout.
His contract is very manageable, and Jason Phillips was a backup catcher afterall. With that in mind:
a) Was this a good trade for the Mets?
b) What are the immediate implications, positive and negative, of this move?
c) Does this make the Mets better, worse, or the same as if Steve Trachsel were still their 5th starter?
Update: Norm at Shea Hot Corner sums up what the rest of the Mets blogosphere thinks about the move. It's a bit of a push, though the consensus seems to say that it was neither a terrible nor outstanding trade, and the improvement over Ginter (or Trachsel) is marginal if not entirely non-existent.