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NY Mets: Five bullpen trade targets for the 2020 August deadline

By Zachary Rotman

BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 17: Mychal Givens #60 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 17, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 17: Mychal Givens #60 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 17, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 22: Brad Hand #33 of the Cleveland Indians in action during the exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on July 22, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

Brad Hand

Brad Hand is a much harder target for the Mets to get, but not out of the question. Last year Hand was on the trade block and was almost traded at the deadline to the Dodgers. Hand has been a top closer in all of baseball the last couple of years and is also a lefty which is something the Mets could use. Their only reliable lefty in the pen is Justin Wilson who like Seth Lugo, struggles to pitch on back to back days.

Hand would be a reliable back end of the bullpen arm the Mets desperately need. However, Hand has one more year of control after this one which will undoubtedly make him harder to trade for. I do still think the Mets can get it done.

The Indians have young reliever James Karinchak and a plethora of other options like Oliver Perez, Nick Wittgren, and Adam Cimber to help hold down the fort.

Trading Hand would give them more financial flexibility to improve in other places or to potentially extend Francisco Lindor. The Mets would have to give up something, but I don’t believe it would take a top prospect to get Hand to New York. Depending on how much the Mets would have to trade, Hand is a great target for the Mets.

Mychal Givens

One of the more underrated relievers in all of baseball is Mychal Givens. For years, he has been solid in the back end of the Orioles bullpen. While 2019 was his worst season, there is a very clear reason why, and there is reason to believe he has lots of upside.

In 2019, Givens allowed 13 home runs in 63 innings. This makes out to 1.9 home runs per nine innings. In the 63 innings he pitched in last year, he struck out 86 hitters, giving him 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

Givens pitched for an awful Orioles team in a very hitter-friendly ballpark, facing top offenses like the Yankees and Red Sox 19 times last year. It’s very clear Givens has great stuff, and in the right situation, might thrive. Givens is under contract through the 2021 season so he would give the Mets a whole extra year on top of what he does this year.

Due to the Orioles being really bad, they likely won’t value Givens that highly and would rather move him for something than lose him for nothing. Would be a great low-risk high reward arm for the Mets to go after.

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