3 realistic Mets trade targets to replace Jake Diekman on the roster

New York Mets v Miami Marlins
New York Mets v Miami Marlins / Rich Storry/GettyImages
3 of 3
Next

The New York Mets designated Jake Diekman for assignment after the left-handed pitcher could not produce the results expected at his signing. Diekman posted a disappointing 5.63 ERA with little control on the mound, with a ratio of 6.8 walks per nine innings.

One of the compelling reasons for not continuing with Diekman is that this left-handed pitcher's contract had a vesting option for 2025 of $4 million that would be achievable by completing 58 appearances this year. The Mets have decided to go with internal options, but if necessary, these three options in the trade market would be more realistic considering the team's approach this season.

1) T.J. McFarland

The Mets could benefit from low-cost rental player options with good performance on the mound. That is the case of veteran T.J. McFarland of the Oakland Athletics.

The 35-year-old veteran is having a good season with the A's after two seasons with an ERA above 5.40. This pitcher's recent success is due to his ability to limit hard-hit contact this season, decreasing this by almost ten percentage points compared to 2023.

Additionally, his command has improved this season, showing better control of his pitches and decreasing his walk rate by almost three percentage points. Likewise, the left-handed pitcher continues to induce a considerable amount of ground balls, exceeding 60% of the hits allowed in this way.

The improvement in his repertoire is one of the reasons for McFarland's success. The sweeper, which he uses almost 40% of the time, keeps hitters at an expected slugging rate below .300, something considered elite.

The advanced metrics show that McFarland has been an unlucky pitcher and that these parameters explained above support an improvement in the immediate future of this pitcher showing an xERA of 2.81, located in the top 8% of the league. His performance and a contract cost of just $1.5 million make this pitcher an under-the-radar reliever with the ability to generate value at a relatively low price.

2) Jalen Beeks

The Colorado Rockies are one of the few teams that are clear sellers heading into the trade deadline. Despite not causing much noise in the market due to not having big names, the team has pieces that could impact any team's roster.

Jalen Beeks is one of those under-the-radar options that could help the Mets bullpen right now due to his ability to go multiple innings and efficiently retire left-handed hitters. Indeed, Beeks has managed to retire left-handed batters with 15 strikeouts in 15 innings and limit contact with a WHIP below 1.10, with only one home run allowed, an important aspect for a pitcher who plays at Coors Field in Colorado.

Beeks' ERA at Coors has been more than decent in 2024, below 4.00, allowing just two home runs in more than 28 innings pitched. This is possible thanks to the fact that this left-handed pitcher manages to induce a considerable number of hits by ground ball, more than 45% of the time.

At 30 years old and with a contract worth just $1,675,000 heading into free agency, the cost for Beeks' services would be quite low. The Mets would acquire a pitcher with enough MLB experience, a prospect pedigree, and a pitcher with positive results in one of the most difficult stadiums for pitchers in MLB.

3) Brent Suter

Brent Suter has been involved in trade rumors with the Mets in the past and has been discussed on this website on countless occasions. The favoritism generated around this veteran pitcher is due to his ability to generate results without the need to be an explosive pitcher.

The 34-year-old veteran finds an ERA below 3.80 for the sixth consecutive season. The ability to generate weak contact, ranking in the top 6% of the league in this category, and his control on the mound with a walk percentage ranking in the top 7% of the league, support the efficiency of this pitcher.

The former Brewers pitcher is known to David Stearns for his time with that organization from 2016-2022.  Suter is another pitcher who is pitching in one of the most damaging stadiums for pitchers and despite them, he has managed to continue his level in MLB.

Unlike the other options in this article, Suter is the only one who has a higher contract and a club option. The current contract earned by this pitcher for 2024 is $2.5 million but his club option for 2025 is $3.5 million. This is something not necessarily acceptable in the finances of one of the teams with the lowest revenue in the entire MLB, which opens a space for the Mets to be able to acquire this pitcher and have his services in 2025.

manual

Next