Rising Apple
FanSided

3 Pirates players for the NY Mets to target with the firesale already underway

The Pittsburgh Pirates' firesale is an opportunity for the New York Mets to bolster their pitching staff at the trade deadline.
ByNoah Wright|
May 13, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller (23) throws a pitch in the third inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
May 13, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller (23) throws a pitch in the third inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
2 of 3

2) Caleb Ferguson

The Mets need some help when it comes to lefty relievers. With A.J. Minter and Danny Young both suffering season-ending injuries in April, the Mets have been using patchwork when it comes to lefties in the bullpen. One of the best that will be on the market is Caleb Ferguson. The Pirates signed Ferguson to a one-year contract and he has been excellent this year. He has pitched 40 innings, working to a 2.70 ERA, 2.96 FIP, and 1.03 WHIP. 

Ferguson has a respectable 8.8% walk rate, but his 19.6% K% is the first time he has ever struck out fewer than a quarter of the opponents he faced. However, Ferguson has made up for his drop in strikeout rate by becoming the best pitcher at limiting hard contact in 2025. The veteran southpaw is in the 100th percentile of both exit velocity at 83.5 MPH and hard hit rate at 25.5%. He falls just shy of the 100th percentile of barrel rate as well, at 2.7%, which is still in the 98th percentile of pitchers this season.

That elite ability to induce soft contact has led to Ferguson allowing zero home runs on the season. He currently has one of 16 seasons since the start of 2010 to have allowed zero home runs in at least 40 innings pitched. With how good he is at preventing quality contact, it wouldn’t be a huge shock if he continued to not allow a home run. His exit velocity is currently the 12th best by any pitcher in the Statcast Era with as many IP as he currently has.

His lack of strikeouts has led to an unimpressive 4.18 xFIP and 3.93 SIERA. But these stats don’t account for his 100th percentile exit velocity or 98th percentile barrel percentage. The Mets need a left-hander, and while Ferguson is only a temporary fix, as he is a free agent after 2025, he is one of the best LHRP that will all but certainly be on the trade market.

Home/New York Mets News