Should New York Mets Sign Trevor Rosenthal?

New York Mets are interested in free agent relief pitcher Trevor Rosenthal. Should they sign him?

The New York Mets' bullpen is ranked ninth in baseball with a 3.46 ERA. However, the club with the best record (38-19) and winning percentage in the National League can and likely will explore ways to upgrade this unit prior to the August 2 trade deadline.

In the meantime, the Mets could potentially take a flier on a veteran reliever, who is coming off two major surgeries from a season ago, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and a torn labrum in his hip. 

This hurler is 35-year-old righty Trevor Rosenthal, who threw in front of teams in a showcase on Tuesday morning at St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens. 

According to a rival scout that was on-hand to watch the reliever, Rosenthal looked strong, but not in pitching shape. His bullpen was cut short by about 8 to 10 pitches after he appeared to land awkwardly on his final pitch thrown, before walking off the mound. He did not speak with scouts afterward, and while the exact reason for cutting his bullpen short is unknown, Rosenthal is believed to have suffered a cramp. 

Rosenthal's velocity was also down compared to his normal averages, with his fastball at 95-96 mph, slider around 83-84 mph and changeup sitting between 84-86 mph. According to Baseball Savant, Rosenthal's fastball averaged 98 mph across the past two seasons, while his slider and changeup both sat near 88 mph. 

According to a source, the Mets were interested in Rosenthal, but It's unknown if Tuesday's showcase will effect any potential pursuit of him. The Mets indeed had a scout on-hand watching the righty throw his bullpen. 

Rosenthal is coming off two significant surgeries, and is rising in age. But if he avoided another injury during his bullpen, can get into pitching shape and get his velocity closer to his career norms, he could be worth taking a flier on. The Mets have already gotten a lot out of arms such as Adonis Medina, Stephen Nogosek, Trevor Williams, Jake Reed, Colin Holderman etc. If Rosenthal is healthy, they could potentially squeeze success out of a pitcher with a solid track record. 

Rosenthal has 132 career saves, and was once an elite closer for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2014 to 2015, in which he saved 93 games in 102 chances across two seasons. He struggled in 2016, before undergoing Tommy John surgery the following year.

The hard-throwing righty had a 1.90 ERA for the Kansas City Royals and San Diego Padres, going 11-for-12 on saves in 23 appearances during the Covid-shortened 2020 season. 

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