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Mets bullpen trade targets: 1 rental, 1 under contract, 1 salary dump

By JOSUE DE JESUS |
Baltimore Orioles v Miami Marlins
Baltimore Orioles v Miami Marlins / Megan Briggs/GettyImages
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The New York Mets are in a "going for it" position heading into the trade deadline. The team must address some points on its roster to strengthen the team.

Among the most relevant areas that David Stearns and the baseball operations department must pay special attention to is the bullpen, the fourth in allowing the most runs in high-leverage situations in all of MLB. In this sense, the team should explore various options to improve in this relevant area, especially for its use in postseason games.

Tanner Scott is the best option if the Mets are going for a rental player.

The Mets have a pressing need for viable options in the bullpen especially in high-leverage situations. Additionally, the team would need a reliable left-handed pitcher after Jake Diekman has been performing inconsistently on the mound this season.

In Tanner Scott, the Mets could get a solution for both situations for the price of one. Scott is having a good season with the Miami Marlins where he has a microscopic ERA below 1.50 and an excellent WHIP around 1.00.

For the second consecutive season, Scott is limiting hard-hit contact from opposing hitters, ranking in the top 1% of the league in this category. Likewise, the expected statistics show that the Marlins closer is in the top 2% of the league in expected batting average and slugging, the latter showing an average below .300, something surprising when the MLB average is around .370.

This hitter's recent success is due, in the first instance, to a change in the distribution of his pitching arsenal. Scott finds himself using his fastball more than 60% of the time compared to 47% shown in previous seasons, due to this the opposition connects him to his 96.4 mph fastball for a batting average below .100 and a surprising slugging percentage. below .110.

The demand to acquire Scott will be high which could affect the Mets' chances of acquiring him. If the price becomes reasonable in terms of prospects, Stearns must take advantage of the opportunity and turn the bullpen into a reliable weapon.

Lucas Erceg could be a great asset given the status of his contract.

In the understanding that David Stearns decides to look for a controllable arm instead of a rental player, Lucas Erceg would be the ideal fit. Erceg and Stearns have a history together, Erceg was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers as a third baseman while Stearns was in the organization and it was during his tenure that the player was converted to a pitcher.

Erceg is having a breakout year with the Oakland Athletics serving as a bridge in the bullpen for star closer Mason Miller. To date, Erceg has a good ratio of strikeouts to walks, thanks above all to greater control, managing to reduce his percentage of walks by almost 50% compared to 2023.

The A's pitcher is another of the many cases in MLB that have benefited from a change in the distribution of use of their pitches. Erceg is using his four-seam fastball and slider as his main pitches, replacing the sinker, which was his main pitch in 2023, and decreasing the use of his change-up.

The main focus of success is due to his slider, which he used 14.% in 2023 and in 2024 he is using this pitch almost 25% of the time. Through the slider, Erceg has managed to hold the opposition to a batting average below 0.70 and a ridiculous slugging percentage of around 0.65, achieving a swing-and-miss of over 33%.

The cost of Lucas Erceg's services and the fact that he is controllable for several seasons would correspond to an important return for the Athletics. Regardless, the team's top 10 prospects would remain intact in a trade for this player.

The Mets may use Steve Cohen's pocket power again to acquire Nick Martinez's contract.

An aspect that differentiates the Mets from many MLB teams is their financial capacity and the willingness of their owner, Steve Cohen, to do what is necessary to achieve the future sustainability of the organization. In that sense, the Mets could contact the Cincinnati Reds to acquire reliever Nick Martinez.

Martinez has a contract for this season worth $14 million with a player option for 2025 of $12 million, something high for a revenue-challenged organization like Cincinnati. Martinez is having a good season on the mound, posting an ERA below 4.00, and his underlying metrics reveal that his performance could be better outside of a hitter's stadium like Great American Ball Park.

Martinez's expected ERA has a difference in favor of more than 0.7, which indicates that the Reds reliever has faced bad luck events this season. Martinez has been very effective in limiting hitters' contact power and command, limiting his walks, and ranking in the top 2% of the league in both categories.

The fact of Martinez's contract, the financial status of the Reds, and the multiple options on the market could create an ideal situation for the Mets where taking on this full contract makes it easier for them to keep the top of their farm system intact. With a trade of this type, the team can achieve what it seeks by sacrificing what Steve Cohen needs, money.

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