(AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)

J.J. Putz, the NY Mets setup man will be facing a unique challenge this year. Putz, who used to close games for the Seattle Mariners, has been a talented player for several years. The closing role has been his staple on the game, and now that he is being asked to take a back seat to K-Rod, will he be able to be as effective?

The key to this situation will be the Mets as a team. Winning seems to fix everything, and if the team puts up a lot of "W"'s, everyone should be fine. If not, the Mets would have a significant center piece to plug a missing hole.

What if this was all part of a master plan to move Putz in an effort to secure a big bat? What if the Mets were hoping to lump Putz into a deal to get Manny Ramirez? Could happen, as you never really can tell what Omar Minaya might do.