The Mets made their first deadline move as they look to fortify their bullpen ahead of the stretch run.
The Mets made their first noteworthy move ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline, acquiring left-handed reliever Gregory Soto from the Orioles. In return, the team sent pitching prospects Cameron Foster and Wellington Aracena back to Baltimore.
It has been no secret that the Mets have been seeking bullpen help at the deadline, and a left-handed reliever was an especially big need after both AJ Minter and Danny Young were lost for the year after undergoing Tommy John Surgery. Soto, who was an All Star for the Tigers in 2021 and 2022 and recorded 48 of his 56 saves during those two campaigns, has struggled in recent years and was traded from the Phillies to the Orioles at last year’s deadline. Soto will bring a 3.96 ERA and a 3.29 FIP with him to New York. The lefty has struck out 44 and walked 18 over 36 1⁄3 innings this year.
In exchange, the Mets parted with Aracena, who currently ranked as the No. 19 prospect in the system according to MLB Pipeline (Aracena did not rank on Amazin’ Avenue’s top prospects list). In 64 1⁄3 innings for Port St. Lucie, the right-hander owned a 2.38 ERA with 84 strikeouts and 35 walks in 64 1⁄3 innings across eight starts and nine relief outings. Foster, meanwhile, has pitched for both Binghamton and Syracuse this year. He owned a sparkling 1.01 ERA in in 26 2⁄3 innings at Double-A but owns a 17.18 ERA in 3 2⁄3 innings at Triple-A since being promoted on July 12.
The Mets’ pen has struggled since the start of June, posting a 5.02 ERA and 4.37 FIP across 179 1⁄3 innings. Mets’ relievers have been overworked as of late, which was helped lead to this subpar results. This is likely just the first move the team will make to fortify their bullpen in the coming days.