NY Mets rumors: Relief pitching battle royale they might not have a chance to win

A name commonly mentioned in recent New York Mets rumors is St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley. The Cardinals look poised to sell off a few pieces, including their coveted closer. Last year featured Helsley leading the league in saves and finishing 9th in the Cy Young race.

Last season means nothing when the goal is to win right now. Helsley has a 3.00 ERA in 36 innings. The strikeout totals are good. The walk numbers are acceptable. His big problem has been getting hit around often. He has allowed exactly a hit per inning including 4 home runs which may not seem like a lot but that’s how many he gave up in 2023 and 2024 combined.

As Mark Feinsand reports, the Mets are indeed interested. So are a whole lot of other teams who have a far greater need for an actual closer.

These Mets rumors seem to suggest they’re in an unwinnable battle royale

The Mets go into Tuesday with a 3.72 ERA from their relievers. It’s good for seventh in MLB, tied with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and Philadelphia Phillies are in the bottom third of the league in terms of bullpen ERA. Each has had their share of issues with the closer spot to varying degrees and circumstances. If players like Jhoan Duran are going to cost a fortune, they should be turning to Helsley as a less costly option.

The Mets might be in good shape statistically with their bullpen in comparison to their peers. That doesn’t mean they should avoid adding a top-of-the-line reliever such as Helsley. It’s the one must for the team right now. Gregory Soto solved their need for a second lefty. A pitcher like Helsley would fill their absence of a high-leverage righty to make up for the sometimes inconsistent pitching of someone like Ryne Stanek.

So far under David Stearns, we haven’t seen any blockbuster deal. Last year’s trade deadline was all one-for-one. The Soto deal was an outlier, costing them a pair of minor leaguers. It’s apples and oranges comparing Helsley to Soto. Helsley will come at a steeper price, especially with some of the rumored teams in hot pursuit.

If not Helsley, who? Fellow Cardinals pitcher Phil Maton should be on the market. Do the Mets repeat that again? He’s having a good season. Someone not pitching all that well with some late-inning experience is Kyle Finnegan. A 4.38 ERA for the Washington Nationals this year, he might be an unsatisfying fallback option for the Mets or any of these other teams. Don’t rule out Stearns eyeing someone a little more under-the-radar with some team control and/or minor league options. Upside is something he appreciates.