1 under-the-radar Mets trade options on the Rangers who can fill two roster needs

The Texas Rangers are 52-55 and 6 games out of the American League Wild Card spot. They’re much closer to winning the AL West at only 3.5 games behind the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners who are deadlocked. The Rangers have always been a team that made the most sense for the New York Mets to strike a trade with as long as they were selling. Multiple pitchers on expiring contracts and some big ones at that, perhaps the most practical and best fit for the club right now is someone a little more under the radar.

Longtime Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Urena has been more of a journeyman since leaving the team after the 2020 season. This year he finds himself with the Rangers pitching mostly in relief. Through 19 relief appearances and 6 starts, the veteran righty is 3-5 with a 3.07 ERA in 76.1 innings of work. He has actually been better as a starter, going 2-3 with a 2.84 ERA versus 1-2 with a 3.22 ERA as a relief pitcher.

Urena doesn’t blow batters away. Striking them out at a rate of 6.2 per 9 which is only slightly above his career average of 6.1 per 9, he’s a groundball pitcher the Mets can add to fill two roster needs.

Jose Urena can be starting pitching depth for the Mets and their new long man

Since DFA’ing Adrian Houser, the Mets haven’t made any move to secure a new long man for the bullpen. Is it really all that necessary anyway? They asked Jose Butto for three innings in Monday’s win. This would’ve been a game we would have otherwise seen Houser finish off for at least the last two innings.

Instead, the Mets chose to let Butto go the final three to “keep him stretched out.” It’s a strong hint of them not going aggressively after a starting pitcher before today’s trade deadline at 6pm.

The Mets are bleeding profusely in the starting pitching depth department. Injuries to Christian Scott and Kodai Senga have them turning to Tylor Megill. It’s not a solution. Moving Butto back to the rotation is one idea. But with his loss comes the absence of his presence in the bullpen. This is where Urena can be effective.

Both another relief pitcher and starting pitching depth feels like an absolute need for the Mets. Urena can do both. And with a salary of only $1.75 million this season, more than half of which has been paid for, he’s not exactly the kind of guy the Mets would need to feel obligated to hold onto if it goes haywire.

A high-leverage reliever like teammates David Robertson or Kirby Yates or even a starter like Andrew Heaney is ideal for what the Mets need. Urena, buried a little further behind in terms of importance, can still be a worthwhile addition.