July 31st, 2024
Anthony DiComo
@AnthonyDiComoNEW YORK -- Sensing weakness in both their depleted rotation while also looking to fortify a bullpen that’s faced adversity all season, the Mets traded for three pitchers prior to Tuesday's Trade Deadline, acquiring starter Paul Blackburn from the A’s, and right-handed relievers Huascar Brazoban and Tyler Zuber from the Marlins and Rays, respectively. Each deal cost the Mets one prospect.
The moves capped a busy Trade Deadline for the Mets, who had previously acquired outfielder Jesse Winker from the Nationals and relievers Phil Maton from the Rays and Ryne Stanek from the Mariners. Using some of their new acquisitions, they went on to win a 2-0 game over the Twins at Citi Field behind Sean Manaea’s finest start of the season -- seven innings, two hits and 11 strikeouts -- to date.
TRADE DETAILS
Mets receive: RHP Paul Blackburn
A’s receive: RHP Kade Morris (Mets’ No. 25 prospect)
Mets receive: RHP Huascar Brazobán
Marlins receive: INF Wilfredo Lara (Mets’ No. 22 prospect)
Mets receive: RHP Tyler Zuber
Rays receive: RHP Paul Gervase
“The plan coming into the season was to compete and make the playoffs,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “Where we are right now, it doesn’t really matter how we got here. We got to a place where we are a playoff-caliber team. We believe we’re a playoff-caliber team. And we did what we thought was the right thing to do in adding to the team.”
It is a plan that revolves largely around pitching. Blackburn, 30, has made just nine starts this season due to a stress reaction in his right foot, from which he recently recovered. He is 4-2 with a 4.41 ERA and has been markedly consistent the past two seasons, producing a 4.35 ERA over 215 innings from 2022-23 with the A’s. Blackburn throws in the low 90s with his fastball, relying on a six-pitch mix to keep hitters off-balance.
“He’s very consistent with his actions, the way he pitches,” said Manaea, Blackburn’s teammate in Oakland from 2017-21. “He’s pretty quiet but brings consistent behavior. He’s a great person to have.”
The right-hander is under team control through 2025, making this -- like all three Deadline moves -- more than just a rental for the Mets. He’s making $3.45 million this season and will be due for a raise in arbitration next year.
The Mets have been seeking starting pitching in earnest since Saturday, a day after Kodai Senga strained his left calf in his season debut. Senga will almost certainly miss the rest of the regular season, and the Mets don’t have a ton of clarity regarding another rotation member, Christian Scott, who has a sprained UCL in his right elbow.
Currently, the Mets possess little depth outside of their starting five of Luis Severino, Manaea, Jose Quintana, David Peterson and Tylor Megill. Blackburn gives them more of a margin for error, though it remains to be seen how all six pieces will fit. Mets officials plan to make those decisions in the coming days.
“We’re excited to continue to add to the team,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We feel good with what we have in that room.”
Brazoban, 34, produced a 2.93 ERA with the Marlins after missing the first month of the season due to visa issues. He’s been one of the game’s better relievers at suppressing hard contact over the past three years, allowing just 99 hits over 121 1/3 innings.
Zuber, 29, began the season with the independent Long Island Ducks before signing with the Rays in May. The right-hander spent most of his time in Tampa Bay’s organization at Triple-A Durham, where he compiled 29 strikeouts and a 2.49 ERA over 18 appearances. He recently earned a promotion to the Majors, allowing one run over his first 3 1/3 innings. Zuber also spent time at the highest level with the Royals from 2020-21.
Both Brazoban and Zuber have four remaining years of team control. Moreover, both have accessible Minor League options that will give the Mets’ 26-man roster flexibility in August and September -- something the team largely lacked over the first half of the season. Both relievers are making close to the Major League minimum salary, and Brazoban in particular was appealing for his ability to pitch multiple innings. With the addition of Blackburn to the rotation, the Mets plan to keep José Buttó in the bullpen for now.
“It’s probably quantity and quality if we’re doing this right,” Stearns said of his relief pitcher strategy. “Bullpen performance is really volatile, and bullpens evolve over the course of the year. … We’ve tried to be responsive to the needs of our ’pen.”
The price for these trades was a trio of relatively low-ranking prospects. Morris, 22, was the organization’s third-round Draft pick in 2023 and 25th-ranked prospect overall. He has 95 strikeouts over 92 1/3 innings and a 3.51 combined ERA between Single-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn. Lara was the club’s 22nd-ranked prospect thanks to his intriguing blend of speed and power. Gervase, a 6-foot-10 right-hander who was taken in the 12th round in 2022, held a 3.25 ERA over 22 relief appearances at Double-A Binghamton.
The Mets did discuss trades for more significant starting pitchers, Stearns said, but in the end opted for a measured strategy in what turned out to be an extreme sellers’ market.
“You’re never going to replace a pitcher like Senga at the Deadline,” Stearns said. “I think we just tried to figure out how best to fortify our team around it in both the rotation and the bullpen to ensure that we had enough arms, and some flexibility in various roles to put us in the best position for the next two months and hopefully beyond.”
