Orosco Returns To Mets

Twelve years after he left, Jesse Orosco is returning to the New York Mets.

Orosco, who was on the mound for the final out of the Mets' last World Series title in 1986, was dealt to New York by Baltimore on Friday for Chuck McElroy in a swap of left-handers.

Orosco, 42, was 0-2 with a 5.34 ERA and one save for the Baltimore Orioles last season. He appeared in 65 games, raising his career total to a major league-record 1,090. His 1,086 relief appearances also are a major league mark.

The first deal of the winter meetings put Orosco in a crowded Mets' bullpen that already includes closers Armando Benitez and John Franco, and also Turk Wendell, Dennis Cook and Pat Mahomes.

The image of the World Series win over Boston still fresh, the Mets dealt Orosco after the 1987 season in a three-way trade with Oakland and Los Angeles, with Orosco winding up on the Dodgers.

McElroy, 32, was acquired by the Mets from Colorado on July 31 along with outfielder Darryl Hamilton in a deal that sent outfielders Brian McRae and Thomas Johnson, and left-hander Rigo Beltran to the Rockies.

McElroy was 3-1 with a 5.50 ERA in 56 games last season, getting all his decisions with the Rockies. He had a 6.20 ERA in 41 appearances for Colorado, and a 3.38 ERA for the Mets.

He didn't pitch for New York during the postseason.

©1999 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed