Insider Links Mets to Pair of AL Clubs for Bullpen Help

The Mets may need to look over to the American League to get much-needed bullpen reinforcements.

Mar 26, 2022; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; The New York Mets logo stands in center field before the game against the Washington Nationals at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports / Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets' primary goal of making the playoffs this season is within reach.

With eight days before the MLB trade deadline, New York is in possession of the third and final Wild Card spot in the National League, and only trail the St. Louis Cardinals by half a game for the second Wild Card. However, the Mets are also battling the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, and Arizona Diamondbacks for that last playoff spot; Pittsburgh and San Diego are just a half-game out, while Arizona is just one game behind.

The Mets have a strong lineup and are getting Kodai Senga back in the starting rotation, so the main area for them to improve is the bullpen. Outside of closer Edwin Diaz and rookie Dedniel Nunez, none of New York's current relievers are reliable, with injuries and underperformance greatly hurting them.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mets can look at two American League teams for bullpen help; those teams are the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers, and the perennially contending Tampa Bay Rays, both of whom are considering selling at the deadline. However, the Mets are hesitant to deal their top prospects or surplus of starting pitchers in a possible deal with these teams, while they will also be competing with the cross-town rival Yankees for these attractive trade chips.

"The Rays are under no financial duress to move someone from their pen, but closer Peter Fairbanks, Jason Adam, Kevin Kelly, and lefties Garrett Cleavinger and Colin Poche are going to garner attention," Sherman wrote. "Jose Leclerc, David Robertson and Kirby Yates of the Rangers each have closer experience and could be Yankees or Mets targets. Their inclusion in the market would deepen the number of relievers and perhaps lower prices."

https://t.co/oGw4kMwHnc For Post+, how the Blue Jays, Rays and Rangers could spice up the trade deadline, how playoff vulnerable are the Braves, managers who have Hall cases at least on par with Leyland, the plummet of Javy Baez

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 23, 2024

The Mets are primarily looking for bullpen arms with good control, while also looking for a dependable left-handed reliever. New York's current lefties in the bullpen are the unproven Danny Young and Alex Young, as well as the struggling Jake Diekman. As such, Cleavinger from the Rays would be a direct upgrade over Diekman; he has a higher strikeout percentage (29.1% for Cleavinger, 26% for Diekman), and although he also tends to issue free passes (12% walk rate), anything would be better than Diekman's disastrous 17.6% walk rate.

Jason Adam would also be a useful addition to the Mets; although he's a right-hander, he's one of the best relievers at generating swings and misses with a 34.7% chase rate and 27.1 strikeout percentage, while his 8.4% walk rate would only trail Nunez and Adam Ottavino for the lowest in New York's bullpen. The Mets had also acquired Phil Maton from the Rays just two weeks ago, so they already serve as good trade partners.

As for the Rangers, Kirby Yates may be out of New York's price range due to their hesitance to deal top prospects for him, as well as already having Edwin Diaz closing games. But David Robertson, who spent half of the 2023 season in Queens, would be another excellent upgrade; his 37% strikeout rate is among the highest of all qualifying pitchers in the majors, while his 8.1% walk rate would be the second-best among the Mets' current relievers (behind only Nunez). There's also Jose Leclerc, who may not be what the team needs due to his very high walk percentage (13.1), but is another tremendous swing-and-miss arm with strong pitching peripherals that could make him a strong setup man.

Of course, the Mets won't be the only team bidding for these arms; New York's other team, the Yankees, are just as keen towards improving their own bullpen. There's also the matter of both the Rangers and Rays still having their competitive windows open beyond this season, so there is a chance that they choose not to sell these assets.

But with the Mets looking to gain the upper hand in a remarkably crowded playoff field, these arms are certainly worth discussing a deal for.