Kazmir was the Mets' first round draft pick in 2002, but was traded to the Rays before he made his professional debut
In 2004, he was considered the top pitching prospect for the New York Mets. While playing for their Double-A team, the Binghamton Mets, he was infamously traded along with minor league pitcher Joselo Diaz to the Devil Rays on July 30, 2004 for Victor Zambrano and Bartolom� Fortunato. This trade was big news, and continues to be widely criticized by the New York media and fan base given Kazmir's subsequent success. There is also speculation that the move may have led to the demotion of then-General Manager Jim Duquette within the organization.
Kazmir made his major-league debut on August 23, 2004, pitching five shutout innings against the Seattle Mariners.
As was the case two years before with Jeremy Bonderman of the Detroit Tigers, Kazmir was traded to a losing team with a need to quickly develop young pitching. He started 2004 with the Single-A St. Lucie Mets, and after his trade to the Devil Rays, he received only a few starts at Double-A Montgomery. However, he was essentially expected to anchor a young Rays pitching staff from the time he arrived in Tampa Bay. He had a 2-3 record and an ERA of 5.67 in 8 appearances (7 starts) in 2004, but he was clearly making strides in his development; he struck out 11.07 batters per nine innings.