How Did the Mets Do In the Trade Deadline?
The trade deadline ended at 6 p.m. ET yesterday, July 31st. After weeks of speculation for the Mets, regarding which players would be leaving and who would be staying, the roster is finalized. Even without having to lose any of the ‘Baby Mets’, the young talent developed on the homegrown team, fans have still speculated that we gave up too many players to gain a select few. In reality, the Mets made out like bandits.
The Mets needed a stronger bullpen to preserve starting pitchers and increase the consistency of the relief pitches that make their way onto the field. It’s usually after a slow start inning, when the Mets have a crawling lead or standstill against their team, that a relief pitcher comes to take over. It’s then that the Mets have seen themselves lose the game, thrown off by awkward communication or too many walks. To gain two relief pitchers: Tyler Rogers from the Giants and Ryan Helsley, a closer for the Cardinals. As well as Cedric Mullins, a center fielder from the Orioles, the team had to give up eight prospects, including Jose Butto, a homegrown Met from the youthful age of 19. In baseball, this is a given; sometimes you have to make sacrifices to reap a greater reward. While we’re sad to see Butto go, the team is certainly relieved to gain a full-force bullpen.
The truth is, David Stearns made these choices for a reason. Letting go of eight prospects, one of them being a solid member of the bullpen, raised eyebrows. They call it a 40-man roster for a reason. Come December, as per the Rule Five Draft, the Mets would have had to let go of their excess players anyway. It only makes sense that they would part ways with them in exchange for lethal players like Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers, or Cedric Mullins.
The Mets struggle with managing a consistent performance. They play based on circumstances and belief in themselves. The stronger the roster grows, the more able the team will be to pull off wins, like the seven-game streak they maintained before playing the Padres. With these trades, there’s a major opportunity to come together and soar.
