After losing significant depth to their starting rotation over the course of several days last week, the Mets made moves to bolster their starting rotation on Tuesday before pivoting to their struggling relief corps ahead of the trade deadline at 6 p.m.
It wasn’t a particularly attractive move considering the high-end pitchers on the market, but Paul Blackburn fills a rotation need.
The Mets acquired the right-handed pitcher from the Athletics in exchange for minor league pitcher Cade Morris.
The Mets also acquired relief pitcher Huascar Brazovan from the Marlins in exchange for minor league shortstop Wilfredo Lara, and acquired relief pitcher Tyler Zuber from the Rays in exchange for minor league pitcher Paul Gervase.
The influx of pitchers will give manager Carlos Mendoza options to weather injuries plaguing the starting and relief pitching staff.
The Mets acquired relief pitcher Phil Mutton from the Rays before the All-Star break and traded reliever Ryne Stanek to the Mariners last week. Their only hitter is Jesse Winker, acquired from the Nationals on Saturday.
Blackburn, 30, had a 4.42 ERA in nine starts for the Athletics, including a stint on the disabled list with a stress reaction to the fifth metatarsal in his right foot.
His addition allows the Mets to keep Jose Butt in the bullpen, at least in the short term, while giving the team flexibility with the addition of Tyler Megill.
There’s also a chance the Mets could use Blackburn as part of a six-man rotation.
Blake Snell, Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet and Chris Bassitt were some of the promising pitchers who weren’t traded at the deadline, and all would have cost the team quite a bit.
“I think we’ve been pretty aggressive in pricing this year,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said before the Mets’ 2-0 win over the Twins at Citi Field, “but we certainly expected it going into this. There are a lot of teams trying to acquire players, and some teams are hesitant to sell for a variety of reasons. It’s a pretty clear dynamic that’s resulted in the kind of deadline we set.”
Stearns said he has been inquired about players in the final year of their contracts but wasn’t keen on selling because the Mets are in position to compete for a postseason berth, and they begin play tonight in a tie for second wild card in the National League.
Stearns also wasn’t in any rush to let go of any hot prospects.
The Mets’ starting rotation appeared to be set last week, but Christian Scott experienced elbow pain after his July 21 start at Miami and was diagnosed with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament.
The rookie will rest at least another week but could still undergo Tommy John surgery.
Senga returned from the injured list on Friday but is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season after straining his calf in his season debut.
“There’s no way we’re going to replace a pitcher like Senga at the deadline,” Stearns said, “so we tried to figure out the best way to strengthen the team around that pitcher. That meant making sure we had enough pitchers in the rotation and in relief and had flexibility in different roles.”
Blackburn is under team control through 2025 and could be a part of the Mets’ starting rotation next season. Luis Severino and Jose Quintana are both free agents after this season, and Sean Manaea can opt out of his contract.
Blackburn, a groundball pitcher, has struck out 38 batters in 51 innings this season with a four-seam fastball that averages 92 mph and also throws a cutter, changeup, slider, curveball and sinker.
“He’s a very solid pitcher who fills the strike zone and has an interesting approach,” Stearns said. “He’ll fit very well in our rotation.”
Stearns said the Mets haven’t yet decided whether they’ll use a five- or six-man rotation.
Both Brazovan and Zuber have minor league options remaining, giving the Mets flexibility with Reid Garrett, Dedniel Nunez and Sean Reid-Foley on the disabled list.
Brazovan, 34, posted a 2.93 ERA in 20 games with the Marlins.
Zuber, 29, played this season with the independent Long Island Ducks before the Rays bought out his contract in May and assigned him to the minor leagues.
He played in two games for the Rays.
“The bullpen’s performance has been really inconsistent and I think the bullpen will evolve throughout the year,” Stearns said. “We’ve tried to address the needs of the bullpen.”
