The New York Mets have a two-game lead on the Phialdelphia Phillies going into play on Tuesday. They could be looking for upgrades at the trade deadline.
The Phillies are not going to go away, so the Mets need to be aggressive near the trade deadline. Additionally, the rest of the National League is not going to be easy to get through in October. The Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs look like real threats to the Mets’ World Series hopes.
With no shortage of elite hitters in the NL, the Mets could target some star pitchers. The Mets’ starting rotation has been the best in baseball, posting a 2.93 ERA so far. However, they could be interested in some elite bullpen arms. Sports Illustrated’s Zach Pressnell suggested the Mets could swing a trade for Ryan Helsley of the St. Louis Cardinals.
“The New York Mets had one of the more expensive offseasons in baseball history that was led by the $760 million addition of superstar Juan Soto,” wrote Pressnell. “Now that the Giants have kicked off the trade frenzy that’s going to shake up the season, the Mets could follow suit by adding one of the best closers in the game.”
“New York has Edwin Diaz at the back end of games, but he’s been a bit shaky at times,” Pressnell continued. “Even with Diaz, the Padres and Dodgers have shown it wouldn’t hurt to add a second or third dominant arm at the backend of games.”
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Helsley was the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year last season. He has a 3.96 ERA this season with 13 saves. After losing three-of-four games to the Milwaukee Brewers, the Cardinals are now seven games back of first place in the NL Central and 2 1/2 games back of a wild card spot.
The Cardinals could become sellers if they continue to slip in the standings. Helsley will be a free agent after the season and is projected to earn a six-year, $81 million deal. If they intend on letting him walk, they could get a good return for the two-time All-Star.
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