Mets Acquire Veteran Reliever from AL Club

The Mets have officially begun their shopping spree at the deadline.

Jul 6, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Phil Maton (88) in action during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets have made their first deadline move.

On Tuesday, the Mets announced the acquisition of veteran right-handed reliever Phil Maton from the Tampa Bay Rays, in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later. To make room for their new bullpen arm, New York has designated starting pitcher Joey Lucchesi for assignment.

According to president of baseball operations David Stearns, the Mets had been talking to the Rays, and other clubs for several weeks about bullpen help, and had previously targeted Maton in the offseason.

Stearns says Mets have been talking to the Rays, and number of teams about bullpen help for weeks now.

They targeted Maton in the offseason. He has a 1.08 ERA in his last 8.1 innings and Stearns is confident the adjustments Maton has made recently can help the Mets’ bullpen

— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) July 9, 2024

The Mets will pay the remainder of Maton's owed salary this year. He was owed $6.5 million at the start of the season. The 31-year-old righty also has a club option for 2025 as well.

An eight-year MLB veteran, Maton spent 2022 and 2023 with the Houston Astros and served as a dependable high-leverage reliever, with a 3.42 ERA and 147 strikeouts against 49 walks. He has struggled greatly with the Rays this season, with a 4.58 ERA and -0.6 fWAR in 35.1 innings pitched, but has shown signs of improvement over his last seven appearances with a 1.08 ERA in 8.1 innings. Stearns believes Maton's recent adjustments will translate well to the Mets' bullpen.

The Mets' 'pen has been ravaged by injuries this season, with both Brooks Raley and Drew Smith undergoing season-ending surgery, while Edwin Diaz and Sean Reid-Foley have also spent time on the injured list. New York also just got Diaz back from a 10-game suspension for using foreign substances while pitching; they struggled greatly during that span with an 8.37 ERA.

As of Tuesday, the Mets are 2.5 games behind the San Diego Padres for the last Wild Card spot in the National League; being so close to a playoff position, it makes sense for the team to buy at the deadline. While there is still more work to be done, the acquisition of Maton should be a legitimate upgrade for the bullpen, especially if his recent adjustments continue to pay off.