New York Mets President David Stearns had one clear goal before Thursday’s MLB trade deadline: Round out a World Series-contending roster. Heading into July 31, New York had one of the best rosters in the National League, but certainly needed upgrades in certain areas if they really wanted to contend with the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
So did the Mets get better before the trade deadline? We grade all their trades before 6 PM ET today.
Gregory Soto
Improving the bullpen was a top priority for the Mets ahead of the trade deadline. Especially when it comes to lefty specialists. Well, their first move of note this month came when they acquired Gregory Soto from the Baltimore Orioles. The two-time All-Star was a former closer and has a proven track record against some of the dangerous hitters they could face in the playoffs, like Shohei Ohtani. With Brooks Haley, the club has a pair of very nice lefty options to throw at their top rivals.
Grade: B
Ryan Helsley
Ryan Helsley has been one of the best closers in the game over the last four seasons. This includes an outstanding 49 save showing for the St. Louis Cardinals last year. He will be asked to be an elite setup man in one of the best one-two punches at the back of the bullpen in baseball. The big drawback in the deal is that the team gave up some good prospects for a player who will be a rental. But the team probably has a two-year window to win it all, and this was an all-in move.
Grade: B
Tyler Rogers
The Mets saw last year in their series with the Dodgers the value in a deep and talented bullpen. In an attempt to give manager Carlos Mendoza as many looks as possible to deploy from the pen, they gave up more good prospects, including Blade Tidwell, for San Francisco Giants submariner Tyler Rogers. One can only hope he plays a key role in a championship team. However, the cost may end up being way too high for another rental.
Grade: C-
Cedric Mullins
The team had been linked to a trade for a center fielder for weeks. On Thursday, they finally got one in another trade with the O’s for Cedric Mullins. In the deal the team forked over three more prospects, including fireballer Raimon Gomez. Four years ago Mullins was one of the rising stars in the game as her earned All-Star honors. However, his offense and defense have steadily declined in the years since. Nevertheless, he still brings solid pop and more base stealing (Three seasons with 30 or more stolen bases) from the position.
Grade: B-
Rumored trade the Mets didn’t make
Since last year, New York has been linked to a trade for Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. However, various reports suggested that despite another down season, the price remained high on the one-time All-Star, so a deal never materialized. Instead they pivoted to a trade for Mullins.
New York Mets trade deadline grade
The Mets had clear needs before the deadline and they address them. They bolstered the bullpen with three meaningful arms, and they upgraded center with a legit everyday player. Did they make a huge blockbuster deal like some teams? No. But they didn’t necessarily need to and just had to improve on already strong roster.
Grade: B-
