One hot month can overturn a few bad ones in an instant and for the New York Mets, their philosophies might have just changed with it. Toward the end of May, this was a team on the cusp of being sellers at Major League Baseball’s trade deadline on July 30. After going 16-8 in June and getting right back on the doorstep of a National League Wild Card spot, president of baseball operations David Stearns might be looking to buy a piece or two to bolster a postseason run.
The Mets’ largest hole to fill is in a bullpen that has been inconsistent and shorthanded alike this season. Edwin Diaz overcame an injury just to get suspended 10 games for a sticky-stuff ejection. While he’ll return on July 6, the team transferred lefty Brooks Raley — their most valuable reliever last season — to the 60-day injured list on Sunday while facing the very real possibility that Drew Smith will miss the remainder of the 2024 season.
It has forced first-year manager Carlos Mendoza to mix and match a bullpen that has been largely ineffective this season. In total, 19 different pitchers have appeared as a reliever for the Mets this season — their collective ERA of 3.84 ranking 14th in the majors .
Only eight teams, however, have more than New York’s 20 blown leads. With some of his more dependable arms sidelined, Stearns has options to pursue at the trade deadline should he choose to. Here are some of the best that are expected to be available: Jun 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US.