Bay Area Native, Paul Blackburn, Traded to the New York Mets

The Oakland Athletics traded 2022 All-Star, Paul Blackburn, to the Mets.

May 8, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Oakland Athletics starter Paul Blackburn (58) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Seattle Mariners at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports

At 1:00p PST, the Oakland Athletics traded Paul Blackburn to the New York Mets, per Jeff Passan. Blackburn was the A's All-Star representative in 2022 and was the longest tenured Oakland A. Now, he will continue his MLB career 2,900 miles east with the New York Mets.

Blackburn is a Bay Area native, pitching at Heritage High School and was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the first round of the 2012 MLB draft.

So far in 2024, Blackburn has been dealing with injuries and has only pitched in 51 innings this season, with five of those innings coming since May 10. In that span he has been solid, posting a 4.41 ERA with a 1.157 WHIP and 91 ERA+. The Mets were desperate for pitching, and switching from sellers to buyers over the last month or so. They are now tied for the second NL Wild Card spot and have been active in trades leading up to the deadline.

The A's made a player-for-player trade, receiving Kade Morris, the Mets No. 25 prospect in return. Morris is a right-handed pitcher who was selected in the third round of the 2023 draft from Nevada.

The 22-year-old starting pitcher has been impressive since his professional baseball debut. In 2024, Morris has pitched in 18 games, racking up 92 1/3 innings, with 95 strikeouts and a 1.21 WHIP. Morris has pitched at two levels this season, posting 3.51 ERA combined.

Morris throws his fastball in the mid 90s, which is his best pitch. He pairs his fastball with a curveball, slider, and changeup. He uses all the pitches often, giving him a deep arsenal. Morris throws strikes often, showing signs that he can stick as a starter as he moves up closer to the major leagues.

Morris is good value for Blackburn, who has one more year of control after this season. Blackburn had been off and on the IL since his All-Star nod in 2022, making his future uncertain. Morris may get promoted to Double-A at some point before the end of the season, depending on how fast the A's want to move him.