Jason Burgos
A new report suggests that if the New York Mets don’t add some impact arms on the trade market before next week’s deadline, they will likely turn to three of their top pitchers in the minor leagues.
“If New York somehow does not find a deal to its liking that meaningfully improves its bullpen, the Mets are open to using top starting pitcher prospects Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Blade Tidwell in shorter roles in the majors,” The Athletic’s Mets insider Will Sammon reported. “The Mets don’t appear to be committing to such a decision, but it is among the possibilities.
“Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns used a similar strategy in the past. While with the Milwaukee Brewers, he broke in future top starters Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes, and Freddy Peralta as relievers for teams in playoff hunts. However, there is more risk in going such a route compared to acquiring a proven reliever.”
Why would the New York Mets turn to prospects in the second half?
There are expected to be some notable relief pitchers available over the next few days. Including Cleveland Guardians star closer Emmanuel Clase. However, there are 16 teams still in play for a Wild Card spot heading into the July 31st trade deadline. Which means there will be a boatload of competition for the available arms.
The Mets are a team with a legitimate reason to believe they can reach the World Series in October. If they make some impactful additions before the deadline. With this being a seller’s market, the cost for even a second-tier reliever could be high. While New York wants to make the most of a championship-caliber team, it still must think long-term and not overpay with premium prospects.
It is a fine line President David Stearns must walk over the next few days. If they do choose to go with Sproat, Tidwell, and McLean, at the very least, they add some very live young arms to the pen in the second half. All three pitchers are ranked in the top 14 of the Mets’ farm system on MLB.com. With McLean and Sproat fourth and fifth overall.
All three prospects throw their fastballs in the mid to upper 90s and have rock-solid secondary pitches. McLean’s stuff is probably the nastiest of the trio. However, they all have flaws they still need to work threw and that could be very dicey in high-pressure situations in the fall.
