Six Degrees of Guillermo Mota Separation

The Mets traded Guillermo Mota to the Brewers for catcher Johnny Estrada. I think you have to file this one under - there's more here than meets the eye.

On the surface the Mets fill one of their biggest needs by trading for a starting catcher with some pop in his bat. And they gave up a reliever who to be blunt - sucked. What gives? Were the Brewers so anxious to be rid of Estrada that they would basically leave themselves without a starting catcher for next season? The Brewers are rumored to be interested in Paul Lo Duca who was the Mets starting receiver last season.

Mota will only cost the Brewers $3.2 million in 2008 - so they can take a risk that he'll be serviceable. Estrada will probably get $5 million in arbitration.

This is the sixth time Mota hs been sent to another team as part of a trade. Those deals involved 21 other players and went back and forth from the American to National Leagues. It's probably possible to connect any player in baseball today with just 3 degrees of separation to Guillermo Mota and if you go to 6 degrees - you can probably connect him to babe Ruth.