The New York Mets have done a complete 180 on their 2024 campaign and are amidst the all-star break in the final wild-card spot and three games over .500 (49-46), which seemed unthinkable at the end of May.
Despite all the recent success, the blue and orange bullpen, which has been ravaged by injuries to many of its key contributors and dealt with underperformance from others, has emerged as the club’s true Achilles heel.
President of baseball operations David Stearns has begun seeking reinforcements by trading for Matt Gage and Phil Maton, who has already made some appearances out of the bullpen for the blue and orange and, most recently, claiming Alex Young off of waivers from the San Francisco Giants.
Still, more help is needed, and the Mets could turn to a familiar trade partner in search of that true difference-maker in the bullpen.
The Mets could trade for David Robertson
Oh, what a difference a year makes. After winning their first World Series in franchise history, 2024 has been a disaster for the Texas Rangers, who find themselves at 46-50 and five games back in the American League West and 7.5 games from the final wild-card spot in a crowded race.
With the Ranger’s struggles, they could look to sell some of their expiring contracts at this year’s deadline. While many may look at all-star closer Kirby Yates, the blue and orange could consider making a move to reunite with David Robertson instead.
Robertson has been excellent for the Rangers since signing a one-year deal worth $11.5 million this past offseason. The 39-year-old has pitched 40.2 innings across 38 appearances to a 2.88 ERA with a 0.934 WHIP and 61 strikeouts while recording a save.
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Why trading for David Robertson would make sense than trading for Kirby Yates
While Yates may seem like the more exciting option with the all-star’s dominance this season, it makes more sense for the blue and orange to target Robertson.
The Alabama native will cost significantly less to acquire than Yates and is already comfortable pitching at Citi Field as he had such a successful first half with the team last season. In addition, Robertson has a mutual option for next season, which would give the Mets some control past this campaign. Time will tell if the Mets make a splash move for a reliever, but Robertson certainly makes sense as a player to target if they do.
