Flammable NY Mets trade deadline deal from 2024 officially goes down in flames

Before celebrating their second straight victory over the New York Yankees, the New York Mets had some roster housekeeping to take care of. Zach Pop was recently signed to a major league deal. The incentive of allowing him to pitch in the majors immediately rather than toil in the minor leagues was probably enough for Pop to put pen to paper. With his addition came a separate roster move needed with the 40-man. The Mets chose Tyler Zuber to be the casualty of war.

A little less than a year after the Mets traded for Zuber, they admit defeat. Zuber made only one MLB appearance for them, allowing 2 earned runs on 3 hits in their 7-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets should have seen it coming. Zuber struggled mightily with Syracuse, pitching to a 12.38 ERA in 2024 and dropping it to a still frightening 6.11 in 2025.

The Tyler Zuber trade was small but might end up as one of the more painful Mets deal

Because Zuber never actually pitched for the Mets in 2024, it’s easy to forget what they even gave up to get him. As it turns out, the one prospect the Mets shelled out for Zuber was recalled from the minor leagues on the same exact day. Relief pitching strikeout artist Paul Gervase was the cost. Through 4.1 innings with the Tampa Bay Rays, he has allowed 1 earned run on 4 hits. Not yet established as a roster guarantee, Gervase would have been incredibly useful for the Mets right now in comparison to Zuber.

Sensibility was the approach the Mets took at the 2024 trade deadline. Every deal they made involved one prospect getting exchanged for someone with major league experience. We can’t even call them all veterans. A player like Zuber barely pitched at the major league level. The Mets were intrigued by his numbers in Triple-A and with the Long Island Ducks prior.

There is a chance Zuber remains with the Mets. He’ll need to first pass through waivers. Optional for the rest of the 2025 season, we can be assured he won’t linger much longer outside of a freshly signed minor league contract.

This trade was a case of trying to find a gem in an unlikely place. Usually when we think of the Rays trading players it’s salary related. In this case, the Mets bought into the talent (and availability) of someone with potential to help them immediately rather than wait a year for Gervase to develop further.