Mets shouldn’t shy away from helping the struggling Phillies bullpen

Trades between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies are rare. However, this season could be the year when we see these two rivals swap players.

The New York Mets bullpen isn’t the only one in need of some help. Several contenders could use a relief pitcher to stop the bleeding. This includes the hated Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies opened the year with Hector Neris as their closer. Recently, several bad performances led to his demotion to Triple-A. This has opened the door for other relievers to take over, including breakout rookie Seranthony Dominguez.

As exciting as it can be to put trust in a young reliever, the more important part of building a winning bullpen is to ensure you have all of the pieces you need. This requires some veteran experience. Specifically, I am referring to Jeurys Familia.

It’s not common for the Mets and Phillies to make a major trade. However, in this instance, it’s not something either franchise should shy away from.

Familia isn’t as valuable on the trade market as he deserves to be. His recent injury history has damaged the haul the Mets could get in return. While he is certainly one of the better closers over the past few seasons, he’s not elite.

The Phillies are a team that could afford to overspend at this year’s trade deadline. Even for a rental, it’s important they get someone who can lock down the final innings. Familia is certainly an upgrade over what they currently have in-house. Why not make a deal with the devilish Mets?

A few years ago, the Phillies traded closer Jonathan Papelbon to the Washington Nationals. The deal was a salary dump, which actually netted them current starting pitcher Nick Pivetta.

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Pivetta has been pretty good for Philadelphia this season while Papelbon’s success in Washington faded much more quickly.

In this hypothetical trade between the Mets and Phillies, Philadelphia would swap roles. They’re the ones getting the experienced closer and giving up a mid-level prospect or two with promise.

There’s always a benefit to acquiring a rental for the final few months of the season. If things don’t work out, you’re not on the hook for his paycheck or playing time. The Phillies are in a position to spend next offseason, which makes this work out even better for them.

The free agent class of closers in the upcoming winter include some big names which will surely entice the Phillies.

In the meantime, working out a deal with the Mets might be the move to make.

The Mets don’t have much to lose here. Familia is unlikely to re-sign with the Phillies and their chances of winning the World Series are slim.

All they do is deal Familia away to a rival and maybe help them get to the postseason. In return, they have some minor league talent they can hope the Phillies regret giving away.

Next: Which Mets player gets traded first this summer?

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If you were Sandy Alderson, would you hesitate trading Familia to the Phillies?