5 under the radar pitchers the Mets could target before the trade deadline

NY Mets under the radar trade target: Tyler Rogers

Billy, this is Tyler Rogers. He's a relief pitcher. He’s one of the most undervalued players in baseball. His defect is that he throws funny.

Rogers has made 41 appearances and pitched 42.2 innings this season. He’s allowed 44 hits, 22 earned runs, 15 walks, and struck out 25 batters. His ERA is 4.64, but his FIP is 3.58, so he’s due for some positive regression in the second half. His WHIP is 1.38 and his ERA+ is 89.

Rogers excels at inducing weak contact. He is in the 100th percentile in average exit velo, 98th percentile in barrel rate, 92nd percentile in hard hit rate, 91st percentile in xSLG, and 81st percentile in xwOBA and xERA. He is not a strikeout pitcher (5th percentile in strikeout rate and 8th percentile in whiff rate), but he doesn’t walk many either (45th percentile in walk rate).

He’s basically a 50-50 pitcher in terms of his repertoire. You’re either getting the four-seamer or the sweeping slider. The slinger is in the 1st percentile in fastball velocity, with his “heater” averaging 83 miles per hour. Nearly 58% of his batted balls are on the ground.

The Giants are in third place in the NL West, and they’re 0.5 games back from the third wild card spot. If they decide they’re out this year, Rogers could be available. Rogers is 31 and arbitration eligible for the first time this winter. He’s under team control until 2026. The Giants been awful defensively this year, and obviously that hurts a guy who relies on ground ball outs. He would greatly benefit from the defense of Lindor, McNeil, and Guillorme behind him. 

These are a few under-the-radar pitchers the Mets could target before the trade deadline. Who else should they go after?