If someone had suggested in May that the New York Mets would be active buyers at this year’s MLB trade deadline, they would have been dismissed as unrealistic.
The Mets had a disastrous start to the season, finding themselves 10 games below .500. By June 3, their record was 24-35, leaving them seemingly destined to sell players by the trade deadline.
However, in just two months, their fortunes have dramatically reversed (as we anticipated at Newsweek Sports). As they approach the All-Star break, the Mets are 44-45, trailing the San Diego Padres by just 2.5 games for the third Wild Card spot in the National League. They posted a strong 16-8 record in June and have maintained a competitive 4-4 start to July, making their stance at the trade deadline uncertain.
Traditionally, trading away expiring contracts to accumulate assets would be logical. Yet, the Mets are in contention for a Wild Card spot, a scenario where the Arizona Diamondbacks demonstrated last year that merely making the playoffs provides an opportunity.
David Stearns, the Mets’ president of baseball operations, recently discussed with the New York Post their focus on acquiring relief pitchers ahead of the July 30 deadline.
“The bullpen remains a critical area for us to monitor,” Stearns emphasized to The Post.
The upcoming weeks will be pivotal for the Mets as they chart their course for the second half of the season. If their current form continues into August, expect the Mets to make additions aimed at bolstering their postseason prospects in Queens.
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