NY Mets rumors: Pirates rejected a unique Brooks Raley trade, this team shouldn’t

Before the 2026 MLB Draft began, there was a lot of speculation that the Pittsburgh Pirates would trade the 34th overall pick, a competitive balance selection awarded to them. They ended up striking a deal with the Chicago White Sox, but not before the New York Mets tried to snag it. According to Pat Ragazzo of Athlon Sports, the Mets were offering some sort of trade offer to the Pirates which involved Brooks Raley.

Instead of Raley, the Pirates received two younger players with control for the pick. It makes more sense for the Pirates who aren’t exactly well-positioned to waltz into the postseason. Raley is on an expiring contract. They need to think beyond 2026.

Raley didn’t feel like an ideal fit for them when the cost was such a high draft pick. Renting Raley for three months won’t do them much good if they miss the playoffs with such poor odds. One of their rivals, on the other hand, should make a phone call to the Mets ASAP.

The Mets and Cubs are a good match for a Brooks Raley trade

The Mets and Chicago Cubs already came together for a David Peterson trade in late June. Their pitching needs align well for a deal involving Raley. Well-positioned to become one of the three NL Wild Card teams if not the NL Central winners if they play well enough and/or the Milwaukee Brewers falter.

A reliable lefty reliever is something the Cubs lack right now. Caleb Thielbar has been their most frequently used arm aside from Hoby Milner who’s currently on the IL due to an appendectomy. Thielbar, a high strikeout pitcher prone to command issues, went into Saturday’s game with a 4.44 ERA on the year made most terrifying by a 2.4 HR/9 rate. Expendable on a $4 million contract, the 39-year-old is one of the small number of active players you could find around the league older than Raley, 38.

Raley has a 2.10 ERA on the season following a scoreless outing on Saturday. Less of a strikeout pitcher but with more control, his 2 home runs allowed all season would be a breath of fresh air for Chicago. 

Apparently willing to start selling to some degree, the floodgates failed to open prior to the draft with Raley as the next to go. For whatever it’s worth, the 34th selection ended up becoming Landon Thome, the son of Hall of Famer Jim Thome. A name everyone knows, there’s no telling what the outside-the-box thinking Mets could have done. In fact, based on the uniqueness of several of their draft picks, the entirety of who they selected could have changed drastically if they did indeed add this draft pick in a Raley trade.

Raley is bound to land on some contending team’s roster. The Pirates should still be considered a possibility for Raley whose Mets tenure has been one of the more underrated in recent memory.

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