There’s a certain comfort that comes from knowing your favorite team is going to buy at the trade deadline, and New York Mets fans can afford to indulge in that comfort.
The Mets pushed all their chips to the center of the poker table when they signed Juan Soto this offseason. With Soto on the biggest deal in team sports history, Pete Alonso on a one-year contract, and a near-40-year title drought, New York is in World Series or Bust mode.
There’s nothing blatantly obvious that the Mets need to fix about their roster so far, which is a credit to the players and the front office. They’re the best starting rotation in the league so far, and they also have one of the best overall bullpens.
But bullpens aren’t ever good enough by May 1. If the Mets feel they have an opportunity to get stronger in the late innings, they’ll do so, and that opportunity could be presented by a division rival.
On Wednesday, Grant Young of Mets on SI named Washington Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan, a 2024 All-Star, as a potential trade target for New York ahead of this year’s Jul. 31 deadline.
“It remains to be seen whether the Mets can keep this bullpen success up. If they begin to falter as the season continues, they could look to the trade market to add more firepower for the postseason push,” Young wrote.
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“Expect the Mets to quickly become a top potential destination (for Finnegan) if their bullpen begins to scuffle before the trade deadline.”
Though Finnegan might not be a top-five or even top-10 closer in the sport, he’s undoubtedly a nice arm to have at the back end of a bullpen. He had 38 saves a season ago, a new career-high, and he’s already a perfect 8-for-8 in save opportunities this year.
Bringing in Finnegan, a 33-year-old on a one-year contract, is the perfect short-term move for a team with title aspirations. He could be an insurance policy if Edwin Díaz continues to struggle, or an effective bridge to the Mets’ veteran closer instead.
More MLB: Blue Jays named among early trade landing spots for $74 million eight-time All-Star
