NY Mets prospect continues to prove he’s the real trade deadline addition they need

Francisco Lindor’s job isn’t to avoid clichéd sayings. So when he said the arrival of several players from the IL would be “almost like a trade deadline acquisition,” he got a pass. His job is to help the New York Mets win games, not come up with original sayings. In fact, Lindor can be as boring as possible if it results in W’s.

The MLB trade deadline is a chance for the Mets to make or break their year. Their hottest prospect right now continues to show exactly why and how he can help.

Rain stayed away from Syracuse on Wednesday to allow Nolan McLean his chance to strike out 10 batters in 6 innings of work. McLean’s continued success in Triple-A is something the Mets need to seriously consider taking advantage of. If you’re in the market for pitching, you need to figure out at what level he can perform in the majors.

There isn’t anything else Mets prospect Nolan McLean can do to show he deserves a chance on the big league squad

Rosters at the beginning of July and on the first of August tend to look very different. Not only are teams adding, they are also subtracting. July is a month where veterans are at more risk of being designated for assignment because a newer and better player has been added. The Mets don’t exactly have any high-priced players in danger of losing their jobs. Paul Blackburn managed to escape seeing his name on a pink slip with an injury. It’s an injury the Mets still haven’t come to terms with as they try to glue together their starting rotation until all of their best are healthy.

David Stearns said last week that his preference is for players like McLean to stay in the minors if a spot start is all they get. An understandable plan led by the kid’s gloves handling of one of the organization’s better pitching prospects, there needs to come a point where a spot start or shift to a relief role is realistic.

There isn’t any publicly known innings limit on McLean. With the way he has pitched in 2025, stretching him out is preferable in hopes of him being an immediate impact arm for the club in 2026. The Mets play the long game, sometimes a little too well at times. Delaying McLean’s promotion is good in the sense of teaching him everything he needs to know. There comes a breaking point where your big league team has holes and it’s time to see if a youngster can be the solution.