5 NY Mets players who can save them from overpaying for someone at the trade deadline

Teams will overpay at the trade deadline to acquire players they think could help them make a deep playoff run. But these five players could help the Mets avoid that from happening.
Philadelphia Phillies v New York Mets - Game One
Philadelphia Phillies v New York Mets - Game One | Adam Hunger/GettyImages
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4) Brooks Raley

Felipe De La Cruz isn't the only lefty reliever who could save the Mets' farm system from being depleted by going after a bullpen arm on the trade market. Veteran reliever Brooks Raley is making his way back from Tommy John surgery. Once he's back in action, the Mets could have replaced both Danny Young and A.J. Minter with just as good of a combo in Raley and De La Cruz.

2024 was mostly a lost season for Raley, as he only pitched seven innings before undergoing surgery. It was a strong seven innings, as he didn't allow an earned run and struck out nine. 2023, his last full season, was quite good. Raley worked to a 2.80 ERA, 3.68 FIP, and 1.26 WHIP across 54.2 innings of work.

Raley owned a 25.8% strikeout percentage, albeit with a 10.6% walk rate. Home runs were never an issue, though. Raley had just a 0.66 HR/9 ratio. He was one of the best pitchers in baseball at limiting hard contact. Raley ranked in the 95th percentile of exit velocity at 85.8 MPH, and the 90th percentile of barrel percentage at just 4.9%.

Raley should start rehabbing in June, which would make him an asset the Mets can call upon during the second half of the year. Losing both Minter and Young so early into the year was a huge blow to the Mets' bullpen. However, the Mets have replacements on the way. By mid-June, both Raley and De La Cruz could be the Mets' go-to left-handed bullpen options.