New York Mets make trade for reliever they needed: Grading the acquistion of Gregory Soto
Bolstering the bullpen is rumored to be the Mets' top priority heading into next week's MLB trade deadline. Well, ahead of starting a big West Coast trip on Friday night, President David Stearns landed the pitcher they had to get in two-time All-Star Gregory Soto.
In the deal, New York will send the O's prospects Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster. The former is the better of the two players. And is currently ranked in the top 20 of the Mets' farm system on MLB.com. The 20-year-old from the Dominican Republic is still a couple of years away from the big leagues. But his fastball has started to reach 100 MPH in 2025, and he has a nasty cutter that reaches the mid-90s.
Gregory Soto stats: 3.96 ERA, 1.294 WHIP, 44 strikeouts, 18 walks
Grading the New York Mets trade for Gregory Soto
The New York Mets currently lead the National League East and are just 2.5 games out of having the best record in baseball. This is a team that has a real chance of reaching the World Series in October. However, they have just one lone lefty in their bullpen.
AJ Minter was one of the better moves the team made in the offseason. The plan was for him to be their top lefty arm out of the pen, but the Atlanta Braves veteran went down with a season-ending lat injury in the spring. The team has been scrambling to fill his void ever since.
Gregory Soto contract: One year, $1.8 million
Soto should be able to do that. The seven-year veteran is a two-time All-Star and was even under the spotlight as a closer during those two seasons. He won't be asked to do that in New York, but he is a player who has dealt with high-pressure situations. Something he will face in October. The combo of Soto and Brooks Raley from the left side gives manager Carlos Mendoza some very solid strategic options in the fall.
The major drawback in the deal is that Soto is a rental. He is in the final year of arbitration and will be looking for a big pay raise from the $1.8 million he is making in 2025. Unless he is unbelievable in the playoffs, the Mets likely won't re-sign him in the winter. Nevertheless, it was a move they needed to make, and they got one of the better lefties on the market.
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