With Major League Baseball’s trade deadline just nine days away, the New York Mets are one of the pitching-hungry organizations looking to add an arm. The Mets are in a tight division race with the Philadelphia Phillies, and could use bullpen reinforcements down the stretch. The MLB trade deadline is one of the last opportunities to make additions.
With the likes of Tylor Megill, José Buttó, Paul Blackburn, and more on the injured list, the Mets need to fix the bullpen situation before it’s too late. Luckily for them, this year’s trade market is filled with quality relievers on teams that could be headed towards selling, which will benefit the Mets greatly.
Mets Predicted to Make Big Splash for Twins’ Reliever
With the Minnesota Twins being one of those teams that might be headed towards selling off their tradable pieces, it has been reported that Minnesota is actively shopping its players who are on expiring contracts. One of those players is southpaw reliever Danny Coulombe, who is in the midst of a stellar season.
Bleacher Report’s Erik Beaston claims that the New York Mets “must” trade for Coulombe in order to save the bullpen:
“Coulombe has been one of the best relievers in the game this season, with a 0.65 ERA in 27.2 innings and 36 games. He has accumulated a WAR of 1.6. Best of all, he has experience lifting struggling bullpens, as evidenced by his time in Baltimore. He was, arguably, the best and most consistent reliever in his two seasons with the Orioles, with a 2.56 ERA in 94 games and 10 strikeouts per nine innings. He has been in high-pressure situations and excelled, picking up where he left off with Minnesota this season.”
Coulombe is not an overpowering pitcher, and his velocity doesn’t get past 91 mph, but he gets hitters to chase 41% of his balls. On top of that, he is a strike thrower. In his 27 innings this season, he has given out just seven walks to go along with 29 strikeouts. Considering he’s also set to be a free agent after this season, he likely shouldn’t cost that much capital. The Mets have been clear that they don’t want to get rid of one of their top prospects in Jett Williams or pitcher Jonah Tong.
The Mets’ Bullpen Needs Help
The New York Mets once had the best bullpen in baseball, but after a couple of injuries in the rotation and guys being overused, the back-end group isn’t as effective as they were in April and May. The Mets also currently have just one lefty in their bullpen, and it’s Brooks Raley. Raley has thrown just two innings this season, so if there’s any positional need for New York, it’s a southpaw option in the bullpen.
As far as what it would cost, if the Mets aren’t going to give up one of their top prospects, they would have to give up a player like Luis Torrens or Ronny Mauricio. Mauricio has struggled in his time in the lineup and could just need a change of scenery, and Torrens may not see as much playing time with Francisco Alvarez being recalled.
Either way, the Mets are expected to make additions, and a left-handed reliever could be at the top of their wishlist.
New York Mets ‘Need to’ Make This Move for 0.65 ERA Southpaw to Fix Bullpen