Final Mets trade deadline predictions: 2 needs they won't address, 1 they definitely will

The Mets will not add a left-handed reliever before the trade deadline

Dumping Jake Diekman was a move we all saw coming. We’ll always have the Aaron Judge strikeout. Beyond that moment, Diekman was a frustrating pitcher who missed bats and the strike zone. He wrapped up his Mets tenure with 24 walks in only 32 innings. The 5.63 ERA and average of 2 home runs allowed per 9 innings was more of a recent trend going in the wrong direction.

Letting Diekman go does raise the question of whether or not the Mets will be in the market for a new lefty reliever. It’s not a necessity.

The Mets have already added Alex Young off of waivers and Matt Gage in an earlier trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Add in Danny Young who has been reliable and filthy at times for them, the club has three southpaw options all with minor league options available. Cycling through them rather than adding a very average left-handed option to the bullpen makes far more sense. When the Mets play a team stacked with lefties, they can have two or three available in the bullpen. Against a right-handed hitting team, they can swap them for some right-handed arms.

Although these three could be designated as three of the lesser arms in the bullpen, none are required to stay and should continually see trips to Syracuse if they don’t perform well.

Prediction: The Mets don’t target a reliever specifically because he is left-handed