3 Mets players to remove from the block after the Max Scherzer trade

2) NY Mets rumors: Remove Brooks Raley from the trade block

Who else expects Billy Eppler or whoever happens to be the general manager next year to successfully snag another Brooks Raley? Not I. Raley’s team option for 2024 is attractive. He answers a bullpen question for the Mets they’ve frequently had trouble at resolving. They’ve gone far too long without a credible lefty reliever (two would be nice). He’s another one of those players we want to see nixed from the Mets rumors.

The same rules do apply. If you trade Raley, you’re going to have to begin a search all over again. You should just make everyone available. Nobody wants that. There will be notable lefty relievers out there for the Mets to try and add to replace Raley. And if Eppler’s time as the GM has taught us anything, he definitely does seem to get one good year from players before they fall apart. This is more coincidence than science.

Raley is likely one of the more desirable trade pieces on the Mets roster. For the same reasons other teams would want him, the Mets need to hold on.

The Scherzer trade is justifiable because of the money involved and the performance he gave them. With Raley, it’s different. He’s making modest relief pitcher dough. The trouble with moving on from him is the team will immediately need to find another southpaw for the bullpen next year. If they’ve passed on Andrew Chafin as much as they have, we should have zero confidence they’d get it right.