Mets Acquire Gregory Soto from Orioles
David Stearns recently laid out his objectives, making them public as well.
The Mets have acquired left-handed pitcher Gregory Soto from the Orioles. This move, reported by John Heyman, aims to bolster the bullpen as the MLB trading deadline approaches.
In exchange, the Mets sent minor league pitching prospects Wellington Arasena and Cameron Foster to finalize the deal, according to sources mentioned by Mike Puma.
Stearns, who oversees the Mets’ baseball operations, expressed a desire to provide manager Carlos Mendoza with a more reliable option for late-game situations as the team heads toward July 21.
This season, the Mets have mostly benefited from a strong relief effort, particularly with Edwin Diaz nearing a return. However, some early-season stars have struggled with injuries in the past month, which has caused challenges.
AJ Minter, Dedniel Nunez, Danny Young, and Max Kranick have all dealt with season-ending issues, while Jose Butto is just coming back from the injured list.
Stearns noted, “We’ve had injuries in our pitching staff, especially in the bullpen, so we felt this was a necessary move.” He added, “It’s great to have reinforcements for our bullpen.”
Soto, who went 0-2 with a 3.96 ERA over 36 1/3 innings this season with the Orioles, has limited left-handed hitters to a .138 average and a .547 OPS. That should be beneficial as the playoffs approach.
With Soto joining Diaz, he provides another left-handed option in the bullpen alongside other relievers like Brooks Laurie, who is returning from injury.
Having a stronger bullpen is also crucial for a rotation that has struggled to go deep into games recently. Meanwhile, they’ll keep an eye on Clay Holmes as he transitions back into a starting role.
Stearns mentioned, “We’re aware of the players that generally get traded around the deadline, and I’m confident we’ll be active.”
The Mets are in good position, just a few games behind the Phillies in the NL East, and they are set to begin a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants on Friday.
This trade cost the Mets their No. 19 prospect, as reported by Aracena’s MLB.com. Arasena had a 2.38 ERA in 17 games (eight starts) for Single A St. Lucy this season, striking out 84 in 64 1/3 innings. Foster posted a 2.97 ERA across 21 games with Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse.
