Spring debut for former NY Mets prospect is a reminder of the trade deadline risks

You don’t completely change your depth chart over what someone does in one spring training out. If that were the case, Brandon Waddell would have clearance to have a spot in the New York Mets rotation after a solid two innings to kick off his spring.

Nonetheless, in these first few days of exhibition action, we’re all going to have reasons to jump to conclusions and assume the best or worst. This applies to current Mets players and ones no longer with the organization.

Last summer’s trade with the San Francisco Giants for Tyler Rogers was a curious one that cost the team a major league reliever in Jose Butto plus two promising youngsters, Drew Gilbert and Blade Tidwell. Gilbert was the one most fans were frustrated about. Tidwell may actually be the one we’ll regret losing more. If you’re one to overreact to every inning in spring training, shield your eyes. Tidwell struck out the side around a walk in game one with the Giants.

Blade Tidwell is as much as anyone a former Mets prospect we’ll miss in 2026

It’s worth noting the players Tidwell struck out were actual big leaguers. Victor Robles, Patrick Wisdom, and Connor Joe were the trio. While not Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh, and Josh Naylor, at least it wasn’t a mix of guys no one has ever heard of.

Tidwell turns 25 around mid-season, making this coming year a pretty important one for him to not get lost in the shuffle. He pitched 18 innings following the trade from the Mets, posting a 1.50 ERA in those 3 starts and a relief appearance. The Mets gave him only a small sample of big league innings. Tidwell allowed 15 earned runs in those 15 innings.

Tidwell has a major hurdle to jump in order to get to the big leagues. Not projected to make the team out of camp, he’s competing alongside a large number of starting pitcher depth pieces. Carson Seymour, one from the Mets organization via the far more infamous Darin Ruf trade of 2022, is another.

Bound to have his second minor league option used by San Francisco, it’ll put Tidwell in a bigger spot to prove himself. He can ill-afford to get lost amongst his peers.

The good news for him is the Giants don’t have a whole lot of long-term starters already. They’ve taken a similar approach as the Mets with short-term deals for guys like Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser.

So far, the Mets have gotten the better half of the Rogers trade, but it’s not going to get any better for us. The Giants still have three players under team control with two of them being legitimate prospects and the other, Butto, feeling like a solid longman in a worst-case scenario.

Renting a player for two months at the trade deadline comes with major risks. The Mets sold off three players for one of the league’s most underrated relievers. No one should be crying over one spring inning of striking out the side. Nonetheless, one can’t help but wonder if maybe Tidwell’s Mets tenure should’ve lasted a little longer.