It's fair to believe that the New York Mets have been busy behind the scenes with just nine days to go until the July 30 trade deadline.
And the elephant in the room is that the team must upgrade their abysmal bullpen that really only has four reliable options at the moment in closer Edwin Diaz, rookie Dedniel Nunez, newcomer Phil Maton and starter-turned-reliever Jose Butto.
The Mets acquired Maton back on July 9 from the Tampa Bay Rays at a low cost, which was cash or a player to be named later. The 31-year-old isn't having a great season by any means, but posted a 0.75 ERA in his final 12 innings with Tampa, and has allowed just one run across three innings (four appearances) as a Met.
While the move for Maton was a start, there are still additional trades to be made in order to improve their struggling bullpen. And as president of baseball operations David Stearns revealed following this deal, he has been speaking with a number of clubs about relief help since June.
So, here are some teams that feel like ideal trade partners for the Mets ahead of the deadline, as they carry some intriguing bullpen arms.
The Cincinnati Reds, who have been engaged with the cross-town rival New York Yankees about their relievers, as Sports Illustrated reported on July 11, are a match because they have a number of relief pitchers whose deals expire after the season. Righty duo Buck Farmer (2.80 ERA in 45 innings) and Lucas Sims (3.38 ERA in 32 innings) would certainly fit with the Mets. Farmer also provides length out of the 'pen, as does versatile righty Nick Martinez. Although Martinez has a more expensive deal, making $14 million in 2024 along with a player option of $12 million next season, he would give the Mets some starting pitching depth in addition to boosting their bullpen.
The Reds have scouted the Yankees' big-league team given the fact that they were just four-games behind the Mets for the final NL Wild Card spot entering play on Sunday. They're in need of starting pitching, and the Mets have the ammo to give it to them.
The Marlins, who are an NL East rival of course, could be a trade partner after the Mets sent closer David Robertson to Miami in exchange for two young prospects in Marco Vargas and Ronald Hernandez at last year's deadline. Left-handed closer Tanner Scott is a highly sought after rental that New York may try to land. But there is hefty competition for his services.
Speaking of Robertson, maybe New York makes a run at reuniting with the 39-year-old, who has a 2.88 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP and 61 strikeouts with the Texas Rangers in 40.2 innings this season. The Rangers have not yet indicated whether they're going to sell or not, but they're six games under .500 and 7.5 games back of the third AL Wild Card spot. Robertson has a mutual option for 2025, so he could once again hit the open market. Texas could also deal All-Star closer Kirby Yates, who will be a free agent after the season ends.
The Chicago White Sox have been fielding many calls about superstar lefty starter Garrett Crochet, outfielder Luis Robert Jr. and righty reliever Michael Kopech, who they're trying to package together in a blockbuster deal. The Los Angeles Dodgers are very involved on this trio, and have a deep farm system. But if they can't get a bigger trade done, the Mets could potentially swoop in and try to acquire Kopech or even versatile bounce-back hurler Erick Fedde.
Last but not least, the Washington Nationals, another NL East rival, could be selling off veteran relievers Kyle Finnegan and Dylan Floro. Finnegan, their All-Star closer, has another year of control, so no guarantee that he goes. However, Floro will be a free agent after 2024, and the righty is an attractive trade piece. Corner outfielder Jesse Winker is an additional possible target for the Mets.
This isn't a year, where the Mets are going to be emptying their farm system. That being said, they're deep on starting pitching with a focus on adding bullpen, so it's possible that they ship out a veteran starter for relief help, as both buyers and sellers.
