Mets Acquire Pair of High-Upside Relievers to Bolster Bullpen

The New York Mets have acquired a pair of high-upside relievers to bolster their bullpen at the trade deadline.

Oct 1, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Marlins relief pitcher Huascar Brazoban (31) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Pittsburgh won 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The trade deadline is now over and the New York Mets were able to upgrade their bullpen with some additional high-upside moves on Tuesday.

The Mets' final trade before 6 p.m. EST was for Miami Marlins right-handed reliever Huascar Brazoban. New York sent 20-year-old minor league shortstop Wilfredo Lara to Miami in the deal. Lara was playing in High-A Brooklyn this season and had a .692 OPS in 78 games.

MLB insider Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase was the first to report on this trade.

Brazoban posted a 2.93 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP and 34 strikeouts in 30.2 innings with the Marlins prior to being shipped out to Queens today.

The 34-year-old has only issued 11 walks, allowed one home run and has held opposing batters to a .179 average this year. Brazoban was the most impactful bullpen acquisition for the Mets on the deadline's final day.

Despite his age, Brazoban won't be arbitration eligible until 2026, so he is under team control for four more seasons.

New York also landed Tampa Bay Rays reliever Tyler Zuber in exchange for Double-A reliever Paul Gervase, as MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reported.

Zuber has a 2.70 ERA, a 1.50 WHIP and four strikeouts in 3.1 big-league innings in 2024. The 29-year-old produced a 2.49 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP and 29 strikeouts across 21.2 innings in the minors this year.

Beyond this pair of relievers, the Mets also brought in veteran duo Ryne Stanek and Phil Maton to help improve their bullpen prior to Tuesday.

Although there were no big splashes, president of baseball operations David Stearns was busy making modest upgrades to his bullpen, as well as his starting rotation by acquiring righty Paul Blackburn. The Mets also traded for left-handed hitting outfielder Jesse Winker, who came over from the Washington Nationals on Saturday night.

The Mets enter play on July 30 with a 56-50 record and only a half game back of the Atlanta Braves for the top NL Wild Card spot. They didn't sell the farm at the deadline, but they did get better in multiple areas.