Trea Turner and 3 more new rivals who will be pains in the NL East

2) Gregory Soto is going to be a pain for the NY Mets hitters to face

The Philadelphia Phillies added more than Trea Turner to their roster. A pain in a different kind of way, Gregory Soto is the late-inning lefty the Mets will have to see often whenever facing Philadelphia. He has had some issues with control but is beginning to master run prevention and striking guys out.

The Phillies already had Jose Alvarado on the roster. They still do. Add in Soto and the Mets are now dealing with two similar all-or-nothing types of lefty relievers. They’re the kind of guys you will ride into battle with four times in a row and then panic the fifth time.

Something to watch for from the Mets this year is how they handle at-bats against left-handed pitchers. All they’ve done to improve this is sign Tommy Pham. We should have our doubts that he turns the club’s fortunes around in those situations. Even if he has a track record of hitting well against southpaws, he’s going to play less regularly. Bats can get cold when they aren’t in the lineup every day.

Soto should not strike fear into our hearts quite yet. However, he is getting better and can cut down a rally in a moment’s notice.

Looking at him and the Phillies bullpen from a Mets perspective, we see the value of having multiple lefty relievers with talent. How will Mets hitters respond?