Latest Mets roster addition is a solid Jake Diekman backup plan

No games were played on Wednesday. This didn’t stop David Stearns from staying busy. The New York Mets put in a successful waiver claim on left-handed reliever Alex Young whose 2024 journey has been a strange one.

Young pitched just 2 innings for the Cincinnati Reds before getting traded to the San Francisco Giants. A year after delivering a 3.86 ERA in 53.2 innings of work and 2 more shutout frames this year, he ended up going across the country only to remain in Triple-A for the Giants. He got beat up with 3 runs in his 2 innings there. Apparently, the Giants saw enough to place him on waivers.

Prior to the trade, Young had a 1.19 ERA in Triple-A for the Reds organization. A lifetime 4.40 ERA pitcher in the majors, he’s a useful addition to the 40-man roster as the team continues to find some Jake Diekman alternatives.

What about Matt Gage, the other lefty the Mets recently added?

Young will, ironically enough, be competing against Danny Young for innings in relief for the Mets. Both are optional southpaws the team should get to know even better before the trade deadline. Diekman, meanwhile, feels like one of the next DFA candidates on the MLB roster. Players like the unrelated Young duo are good secondary lefties to have. The Mets could really use a top dog on the roster for the highest leverage situations. This is where players like Tanner Scott can help out.

Not long ago, the Mets picked up lefty Matt Gage in a player for cash trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He came over with a 4.29 ERA in the minors this year. In 1.2 innings for Syracuse, he struck out a pair while allowing as many hits. It’s not nearly enough to know exactly what they picked up in this deal. Alongside Young and Young (who are both 30-years-old by the way), the Mets have some seemingly good left-handed depth.

Tyler Jay was DFA’d to make room for the newest Young on the roster. As well as he pitched in the minors, he wasn’t able to get the job done at the major league level. It was the second time this year he has been DFA’d. The first time he passed through waivers. What about round two?

Lefty bullpen arms will be more popular than ever over the next two weeks. The Mets are aggressively stockpiling a few more options. While this shouldn’t stop them from pursuing bigger names, it can at least provide a safety net for injuries or any more aggravation Diekman may provide.