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In hiring president of baseball operations David Stearns, the New York Mets paired small-market ingenuity with a runaway payroll to create one of the most dangerous teams in the sport. This isn't the 2022 Mets team that bought 100 wins before falling flat and collapsing a year later. By spending responsibly, New York has found a sustainable path to competing.
The occasional splurge on Juan Soto doesn't hurt, either.
Stearns will spend when necessary, but he's principled with the checks he asks owner Steve Cohen to cut. He's not going to trade top prospects for three-month rentals, and he's not going to tie big money to relievers with Edwin Díaz already under contract.
Stearns suggests relief help is on the way
On Monday, Stearns spoke to the media, fielding questions in the final days before the July 31 trade deadline. Among his top priorities looks to be the bullpen, where Díaz, Reed Garrett, and Huascar Brazobán have been strong, but overworked, ahead of a rather mediocre crop of middle relievers.
The Mets specialize in churning out quad-A relievers and hoping some stick (like Garrett). Between injuries and inconsistencies, though, more stability is necessary.
"I think providing our group some reinforcements in the bullpen would be great," Stearns said, via ESPN. "There are generally relievers traded at the deadline. And so I'm sure there will be some this year as well, and we'll be involved in that."
New York is bound to make a move or two before the deadline. However, expecting Stearns to pony up real capital for the market's top options like Jhoan Durán, Emmanuel Clase, and Ryan Helsley is ambitious. Stearns has a type: cheap and controllable, with quality stuff. Several available names fit that list.
Dennis Santana, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh has essentially been out of the playoff race since Opening Day, rendering much of the bullpen available for trade. David Bednar might be the biggest prize, but on a results basis, Santana has been even better.
Across 42.1 innings, Santana has pitched to a 1.49 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP, with a 2.28 FIP to support it. He's been fortunate with the long ball, allowing just 0.21 per nine innings. Relievers are inherently volatile, but Santana's profile doesn't scream regression.
With a slider-heavy arsenal, Santana is missing bats at an elite rate while suppressing contact moderately well. His .222 BABIP allowed is great and backed by an 85th-percentile xBABIP, he's walking fewer than 5% of batters, and he's limiting pulled fly balls.
Under contract through the 2026 season, Santana has a season of arbitration left and can reasonably slide into the high-leverage mix behind Díaz.
Gregory Soto, LHP, Baltimore Orioles
The return of Brooks Raley has been fruitful in his first handful of appearances, adding a late-inning lefty to the bullpen for the first time since veteran A.J. Minter went down with his season-ending lat injury.
Last season, New York was stretched thin and forced to use David Peterson in that role for its biggest innings of the season. Adding another lefty would help mitigate that risk (and keep Peterson in the rotation).
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Soto will be a free agent this winter, and on a floundering Orioles team, there's little reason for him to wear orange and black every day in August. He's underperforming his 3.27 FIP with a 3.67 ERA, but he's been as consistent as ever. Soto is going to strike out double-digit batters per nine innings, walk 10% of batters, and get lefties out. This season, they're hitting .148 against him. For his career, that mark moves to a measly .207.
A second high-leverage lefty opens the door for either one to be used in the middle innings without forcing Garrett or Brazobán into an uninviting matchup later in the game.
Jake Bird, RHP, Colorado Rockies
The biggest obstacle in any hypothetical deal with the Rockies is their existence as an irrational actor. They don't like to trade players at the deadline, even as their futility exceeds the elevation of Coors Field.
Bird's team control (through 2028) inflates his price, although being 29 years old with a career-best 4.01 ERA means he shouldn't break the bank. Teams will be inquiring about Colorado's surplus of solid relievers, and Bird is the Mets' best bet.
His arsenal is headlined by an elite slider that he commands well and consistently tosses in the zone, generating both called strikes and soft contact. His curveball is an out pitch, and he relies on a sinker as his primary fastball. It's an average offering but tunnels well, and New York's pitching lab has done impressive work tinkering with fastball/sinker usage in recent years.
In the meantime, Bird can slide into the middle of the Mets' bullpen, offering consistent 4.00-ERA ball, adding insulation should Ryne Stanek or José Buttó struggle. In an innovative organization, he would stand to improve in the years before he hits free agency, too.
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