It would have been even better if the Mets added Jeffrey Springs
Hope springs eternal. Jeffrey Springs will have a chance to bring some hope to any remaining Athletics fans. The Tampa Bay Rays starter was dealt to the—I suppose they’re just the A’s now—alongside Jacob Lopez in exchange for Joe Boyle, a Competitive Balance Draft Pick, and two minor leaguers.
Surely the Mets could have found something comparable to make this deal. Because it did involve another MLB pitcher, Boyle, the prospect capital could’ve been higher.
Springers is a great example of what the Mets will hope Clay Holmes turns into. A starter for much of his early career, the Rays decided to convert him into a starter in 2022 with amazing results. Unfortunately, he has made only 10 starts over the last two seasons. He has remained spectacular. Better things are to come.
Springs was only on the move because the extension the Rays signed him to was backloaded. He’ll receive $10.5 million in each of the next two seasons with a team option of $15 million in 2027. Without a doubt, his name came up in conversations between the Mets and Rays when they’ve made deals in the past. Blame a lack of pitching depth to deal away in trades for why they weren’t able to get a greenlight from Tampa Bay here.