Sometimes top executives of teams publicly skirt around their trade-deadline plans. Often they do not want to be pinned down, cognizant that by telegraphing their plans, fans and media can then evaluate whether those plans were properly executed. Some do not want to tell reporters what their team needs to spare the feelings and the scrutiny of the players who could soon be replaced.
Speaking 10 days before the trade deadline, though, David Stearns was pretty forthright: Bullpen help is needed and likely on the way.
“We’ve been hit with injuries in the pitching staff, I think specifically the bullpen. And so we will be active there,” the Mets president of baseball operations said Monday. “I think providing our group some reinforcements in the bullpen would be great.”
The Mets bullpen was the team’s strength for the first few months of the season, when it was leaned upon heavily and responded.
Likely in part because of that overuse, the group has suffered from injury and ineffectiveness since. Three members of the Opening Day bullpen — A.J. Minter, Danny Young and Max Kranick — are gone for the season with elbow surgeries. So is 2024 revelation Dedniel Núñez. José Buttó remains out with an illness.
Since the start of June, the Mets bullpen entered play having logged the fifth-most innings in the majors while posting the fourth-worst ERA (5.26). The team’s overall downslope has reflected its bullpen’s slide.
“There are generally relievers traded at the deadline, and so I’m sure there will be some this [deadline] as well,” Stearns said before the Mets’ 7-5 comeback win over the Angels. “I think we’ll be involved in that.”
Virtually every contender (or near contender) will join Stearns in searching for relief help, though the reliever market is far more plentiful than the markets for starting pitchers or impact bats. Perhaps Stearns can seek a powerful setup arm for Edwin Díaz and pull off a swap for Orioles star Félix Bautista. He can try to raid the hovering-around-.500 Twins, who could dangle Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax. There is little reason for the Pirates to hold onto David Bednar.
Stearns said there are trade conversations going on across the league right now, but there are “still a number of teams” trying to decide whether to buy or sell. He thought the market would clarify within the next week.
If the Mets — whose rotation is healthy but not yet built up and who theoretically could try to upgrade in center field and/or third base — come away from the deadline with solely a reliever or two, there would be some fans complaining about a lack of a splash.
“I try not to look at it as the size of the splash,” said Stearns, whose first July with the Mets — which netted Jesse Winker, Paul Blackburn, Phil Maton, Ryne Stanek, Huascar Brazobán and Tyler Zuber — was not splashy. “I think that can get a little dangerous this time of year. … I think we try to look at it as, like: How good is the player coming back? And how does that particular player fit the team needs?
“I also don’t know how many big, splash players are actually being traded this deadline.”
Those “splash players” are more commonly found at bat (such as Diamondbacks slugging third baseman Eugenio Suárez) or in a rotation (perhaps Sandy Alcantara or Seth Lugo). In both areas, Stearns expressed contentment with the club’s current players.
“I look at our position-player grouping, and for the most part, I’m pretty pleased with where we are,” said Stearns, who added that Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio — who have shared third base with Mark Vientos — have “taken a step forward.”
Stearns allowed that the Mets have received little offensively in center field, where Tyrone Taylor has played well defensively but barely hit.
But Stearns values Taylor’s glove and cited Jeff McNeil’s growing ability in center, which has minimized urgency to upgrade at the spot.
“For me at least, the bar to improve center field has probably risen over the past let’s say two weeks because of Jeff’s comfort level out there,” said Stearns, who was similarly optimistic about the club’s current rotation.
Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea are building up — slowly, particularly in the latter’s case — at the major league level. Clay Holmes has not pitched six complete innings in any of his past seven starts. Frankie Montas has not pitched six innings in any of his four starts off the IL. David Peterson has been the lone horse among the group.
Stearns said horses are nice, but he believes the current five has enough upside for a playoff run.
“I think we have multiple pitchers on our staff right now, in that grouping of five, who can lead a staff into a playoff series,” Stearns said. “I’m confident of that. I’m comfortable with that.”
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