5 under the radar NY Mets trade candidates for the bullpen

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The New York Mets are in a disadvantaged position in the standings but the team has no intention of giving up. After playing baseball below expectations, the organization is moving towards the trade deadline with the position of being buyers this summer.

Among the areas for the team to improve, pitching represents a big headache for the Mets. While the team needs reliable starters and relievers, bullpen depth is a must to stay in contention and make the postseason, so here are five viable options they can explore on the market.

The Mets should trade for Chicago White Sox reliever Keynan Middleton

Keynan Middleton is not a very popular or well-known pitcher. Middleton came to the Chicago White Sox via a minor league contract signing last January.

The reliever has been one of the best news for some White Sox, who have disappointed again. Middleton has a competitive ERA and a career-high in strikeouts this year.

Keynan Middleton is a pitcher who came to MLB via draft with the Los Angeles Angels and posted a couple of good seasons until he suffered an injury that required Tommy John Surgery, and from this point, his performance slowed down. The White Sox took advantage of this window to sign him, at a low cost.

Middleton's better ERA this year stems from a change in his pitching profile by using more of his changeup and lessening the use of his fastball, which has been hit above .290 in past seasons. This change in his arsenal has generated positive results, with a changeup causing the opposition to bat below .200 and an increase in his GB% of more than 20 percentage points.

Middleton is a free agent after this season, and for his contract and popularity, the cost would be low. The Mets could get this reliever, who would be very useful throughout the final stretch of the season.

The Mets should trade for this once-forgotten Detroit Tigers reliever

Seeking help in a heavily used and sometimes unreliable bullpen, the Mets need to migrate to low-cost options to improve their roster. A profile that José Cisnero of the Detroit Tigers fits.

Cisnero is in his final year of arbitration before hitting free agency at age 34. This Detroit Tigers pitcher did not pitch in MLB from 2014 to 2019 due to a pitching arm injury that caused him to undergo Tommy John surgery.

After this surgery, Cisnero battled in independent leagues in Venezuela, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic until he received a non-roster invite to the Tigers' training camps. Since then, Cisnero has been a reliable pitcher in Detroit's bullpen.

This season the pitcher has an ERA below 3.00, supported by a high percentage of strikeouts thanks to his fastball and sinker. Cisnero's fastball, which tops out at 96 mph, induces an elite swing and miss with a microscopic batting average.

Similarly, he has a sinker pitch that travels around 95 mph and has caused his GB% to be above 40%, generating more outs. Cisnero's arsenal is complemented by his changeup, slider, and cutter, thus offering options for a relief pitcher.

Sincero's value will not be high due to his age and the fact that he is a rental, so the Mets can acquire him via trade for a low value. Cisnero could support the Mets in tight situations by helping a bullpen that hasn't been efficient this year.

The Mets could improve their bullpen with another veteran left-handed pitcher

The market for left-handed relief pitchers is always striking, and this time it is led by a recognized arm, the top among available relievers, Aroldis Chapman. Chapman's value will be high and in demand, but there is another veteran left-hander who can be a great target.

Brent Suter, at almost 34 years old, is having one of the best seasons as far as a reliever is concerned this 2023. Pitching in a complicated environment like Coors Field in the Colorado Rockies, Suter has been efficient enough to post an ERA and xERA top of the league among relievers.

Suter has achieved this thanks to his perfect location, inducing the best low-contact rate in the league. Indeed, Suter leads the league with MLB's lowest hard-hit contact and exit velocity allowed.

This has caused the veteran to be ranked in the top 6% of the league in xSLG, xwOBA, and xERA. This performance has been led by a changeup that is generating a Whiff% of almost 40% and a BA and SLG of around .150 and .250, respectively.

Despite having Brooks Raley in their bullpen, Brent Suter would be a great addition to the Mets due to his dominance against lefties and righties. Although Suter may be an in-demand target, his value would not be high thanks to his age and contract, which ends this season.

The Mets should be interested in this former Nippon-Ham Fighters pitcher

The St. Louis Cardinals have been the most disappointing team this 2023. After winning the National League Central Division in 2022, the team is among the worst records in MLB, which tilts them towards an absolute sale of players.

The Cardinals have many options that will attract the attention of the teams. Among them is a pitcher that is little recognized but has shown better performance this year. Drew VerHagen is in the final year of his contract with the Cardinals and can be an affordable option for teams looking for efficient pitching for their bullpen, like the Mets.

VerHagen is a former pitcher for the Detroit Tigers who, after a couple of underperforming years in MLB, went to Japan to play two years with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. The Cardinals signed him in 2022 after seeing some indicators of better pitching efficiency and, an increase in his strikeout percentage.

While the 2022 season wasn't great for VerHagen in St. Louis, the results look better this year. His ERA doesn't look the best right now, but his xERA and xwOBA are in the top 10% of the league which indicates there is ample room for improvement.

Part of this pitcher's success has been using his sinker less, which was his main pitch in 2022, at which he was hitting almost .400. This season VerHagen has relied more on his fastball and sweeper, the latter being his most effective pitch-inducing an opposition batting average below .150 supported by a Whiff% above 40% which is elite.

The Mets could use a pitcher of this profile in their bullpen this season at a low price. With the Cardinals focused on selling their most important pieces at the highest possible cost, VerHagen should be a target for the Mets to improve in an area with inefficiency in the team.

The Mets should take a look at an intra-division bullpen target

Bullpen arms are always in wide demand heading to the trade deadline. The bullpen is an important element to help teams stay competitive and survive day by day in the playoffs through the use of pitchers in every game situation.

Within the East Division of the National League, the Washington Nationals are a team out of competition and will be sellers this summer. The team doesn't have many options, but a veteran reliever emerges as a viable option for teams looking to make the postseason.

Carl Edwards Jr. is a longtime pitcher in MLB, being an efficient reliever with several teams in the league. At 31 years old, Edwards Jr. is pitching a good season with the Nationals with a good ERA.

The veteran has had a great result this year despite presenting control issues with a considerable number of walks. The efficiency of this pitcher is due to his ability to limit the opposition to a low hard-hit contact, ranked in the top 10 in the league.

The Nationals have a huge incentive to sell this pitcher ASAP, and the Mets should be watching for an offer. Efficient, experienced relief pitchers are needed for high-pressure moments in games where the bullpen must show up, and for the cost of a rental like Edwards Jr. it's worth the gamble.

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