Mets Acquire High-Upside Lefty Reliever From NL Contender

The Mets made a sneaky-good trade for bullpen help.

Jun 13, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Matt Gage (91) in the dugout before the game against the Washington Nationals at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets are looking for any bullpen arms they can find.

On Sunday, the team acquired left-handed relief pitcher Matt Gage from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for cash considerations. Gage was subsequently optioned to the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, but has replaced right-hander Drew Smith on the 40-man roster; Smith was moved to the 60-day injured list, as he will likely undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery.

LHP Matt Gage has been acquired from Los Angeles (NL) in exchange for cash considerations. He has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.

RHP Drew Smith has been transferred to the 60-day IL.

— New York Mets (@Mets) July 7, 2024

Primarily pitching in the minor leagues, Gage has made 16 appearances in the majors across two seasons (with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022 and with the Houston Astros in 2023) and has a 1.83 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and a .188 opposing batting average. This season, the southpaw has pitched in 20 games with the Oklahoma City Baseball Club (the Triple-A affiliate of the Dodgers, formerly known as the Oklahoma City Dodgers), and has a 1-3 record with a 4.29 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP, a .215 opposing average, and 27 strikeouts against 12 walks.

Gage's pitch mix includes a four-seam fastball, a cutter, a slider, and a sinker. Judging from his limited data on Baseball Savant (in his two MLB stints), he has a good whiff rate on his pitches, while inducing soft ground balls when hitters make contact. Both of these are great attributes for pitchers, so the Mets could possibly have a useful piece in the bullpen.

Heard Dodgers really liked lefty reliever Matt Gage but didn’t have room for him. Rival talent evaluators I’ve spoken with have lauded Gage’s sinker/cutter mix that has been working for him

If given a chance with Mets, there could be something there in the big-league pen

— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) July 7, 2024

Even if Gage is merely on the roster for depth purposes, the Mets' primary goal before the deadline is to improve their relief corps; they have been linked to multiple relievers on the market, while closer Edwin Diaz has also returned from his 10-game suspension. During the Diaz suspension, New York's bullpen had an 8.37 ERA.

The Mets are aiming to return to the playoffs after a one-year absence, and are only 2.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the third Wild Card spot in the National League. This first trade for Gage, who looks promising, should be a harbinger for New York's deadline plans.