3 NY Mets roster moves we’d like to see before the second half begins

Before baseball resumes, the New York Mets should have a couple of roster moves to consider. No, they aren’t going to come out of the break swinging for the fences with a franchise-defining trade. They won’t find some secret free agent in a foreign country who has been lingering unseen. There isn’t even a stereotypical David Stearns trick up his sleeve. Realistically, the Mets will be working with what they already have.

Action resumes Friday versus the Cincinnati Reds back home at Citi Field. Let’s hope the Mets decide to make these three roster moves before they do.

1) Mets activate Brooks Raley from the IL

A missing piece of this Mets roster can be answered with one health clearance for Brooks Raley. An exceptional lefty reliever in 2023 with the team and again for a brief 7-inning stretch in 2024, Raley is a solution to the absence of a credible left-handed reliever in the bullpen that the team has been searching for ever since A.J. Minter went down with a season-ending injury. Raley knows a thing or two about that. Tommy John surgery struck him down early in 2024, eliminating him from live game action since.

Working his way back on a rehab assignment, his days before rejoining the Mets are numbered. He’s a candidate to rejoin the club any day now. Let it be Friday.

The importance of having Raley back cannot be overstated. As overrated as a lefty reliever can sometimes be, the Mets simply need added high-leverage arms of any kind. It’s a bonus for him to throw left-handed.

We can agree that rushing Raley back is a mistake and can live another series without him if needed. We’ll put our trust in the medical staff and Raley’s honesty about how he’s feeling. In the meantime, hope the Mets bats carry the load.

Looking ready to join the Mets based on the results, Raley has yet to allow a run across in any of his 9 innings on rehab.