The emotional reaction of Jose Butto after being traded by the Mets mid-game

In one of the most human moments of the Major League Baseball trade deadline, pitcher Jose Butto experienced a scene full of emotions after learning that he had been traded by the New York Mets to the San Francisco Giants in the middle of a game.

This happened on Wednesday during the game against the Padres at Petco Park, where cameras caught the Venezuelan visibly upset in the bullpen, minutes after receiving the unexpected news.

Sitting next to bullpen coach Jose Rosado, Butto lowered his head, covered his face with his cap and then slowly left the bullpen, stopping to say goodbye to his teammates in the dugout.

Butto traded to Giants

Butto was part of the package that the Mets sent to San Francisco along with prospects Blade Tidwell and Drew Gilbert, in exchange for reliever Tyler Rogers. In subsequent statements, the 27-year-old pitcher confessed that he did not expect it:

“I’m surprised, I didn’t expect it. But I’m happy to go to San Francisco and be part of the Giants,” he said. Although he admitted to feeling a little sad because I was here from the beginning“.

During his time with the Mets, Butto pitched in 74 games, posting an 11-9 record with 163 strikeouts and an overall ERA of 3.45.

So far in the 2025 season, he has a 3.64 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 47 innings, standing out as a useful piece in the bullpen, albeit with some ups and downs.

Jose Butto will face his former team

The irony of the schedule has not gone unnoticed, as after a day off on Thursday, the Mets return home on Friday to begin a series against the Giants, who will now have Butto in their bullpen.

That reunion could be another emotional moment for the pitcher, who just days earlier was part of that same locker room.

San Francisco hopes Butto can fill the role vacated by Rogers in the bullpen, although they also value his experience as a starter, a possibility the coaching staff could explore if the team needs rotation depth.

Until now, the Venezuelan pitcher had only worn the uniform of the Mets since he signed with the organization in 2017 as an international free agent, and made his Major League debut in 2022.