NY Mets rumors: Impactful trade could be on the way soon, here's an option to pursue

It's one of the best times of the year if you're a baseball fan; it's trade deadline season. Teams across the league are reviewing their rosters and trying to determine the best course of action to take. The New York Mets are no different in this regard and are expected to be one of the busiest teams during the deadline. With World Series aspirations and multiple holes on the roster, David Stearns should make multiple moves before 6 pm on July 31st.

While numerous rumors are expected to circulate this month, one that has been reported is that impact relievers could be moved early in the month. This directly impacts the Mets as upgrades in the bullpen are the most significant area they need to address. If this is the case, the Mets should start aggressively pursuing Caleb Ferguson of the Pirates.

Why Caleb Ferguson is the impact reliever the Mets need

Although there is not much going right for the Pirates right now, Ferguson continues to be one of the few bright spots. After signing a one-year deal with Pittsburgh this offseason, Ferguson has shone. Through 38 2/3 innings, he has an ERA of 2.79 with 30 strikeouts to 14 walks, a 1.060 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 153. It's the best numbers he's put up since 2022, when he returned from Tommy John Surgery and played only half the season.

A significant reason for Ferguson's success has been his ability to prevent hitters from making solid contact. According to Baseball Savant, he's held batters to a 2.8% barrel rate, which is in the 98th percentile among pitchers. He also has a hard-hit percentage of 25.2, which is in the 100th percentile. This weak contact has limited the average exit velocity of the hits he has given up to 83.2 mph, which is also in the 100th percentile.

Ferguson is the exact player the Mets need right now. For weeks, they've been looking for a high-leverage left-handed reliever to replace AJ Minter. While they have brought in many free agents, none of them have seemed to replace the void left by Minter. Ferguson has the ability to fill that void. He's proven this season that he's good enough to come into high-leverage situations, having a .264 opponents wOBA when runners are in scoring position. He can also be the setup man for Edwin Diaz.

He also won't cost the Mets that much in a trade. With Ferguson set to become a free agent at the end of the season, he has little value outside this season. If the Mets want to make a deep playoff run, Ferguson would go a long way in achieving that goal. Landing him as soon as possible should be the plan.