The New York Mets are firmly playoff contenders just a few days before the trade deadline as the blue and orange sit in the first wild-card spot at 55-48.
With the Mets contender status, president of baseball operations David Stearns has been working the phones in an attempt to upgrade the squad’s biggest weakness: the bullpen.
On Friday, Stearns did just that as the Mets acquired a veteran flamethrower from the Seattle Mariners.
The Mets have acquired Ryne Stanek
According to Andy Martino of SNY via X, the Mets have acquired relief pitcher Ryne Stanek from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for their No. 30 prospect, according to MLB.com, Rhylan Thomas.
Stanek has pitched 39 innings across 46 appearances to a 4.38 ERA with a 1.333 WHIP while striking out 44 and picking up seven saves.
The Missouri native will bring a different look to the Mets bullpen, which doesn’t quite have a high-velocity arm outside of Edwin Díaz. Stanek has a reputation for being one of baseball’s best flamethrowers. The 33-year-old’s fastball consistently reaches the upper 90s, topping out at 101 MPH this season.
Stanek is also a proven postseason performer, pitching 20 innings across 23 appearances to a 2.70 ERA with a 0.750 WHIP and 21 strikeouts while winning the 2022 World Series.
Thomas was the Mets’ 11th-round pick in 2022 out of USC and has worked his way up to Triple-A Syracuse this season after beginning the season with Double-A Binghamton. Across the two levels, the 24-year-old has appeared in 74 games, slashing .265/.318/.387 with five home runs and 31 RBIs.
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What does this mean for the Mets?
The acquisition of Stanek gives the Blue and Orange the high-leverage reliever they had been looking for. The 33-year-old primarily filled that role in Seattle and should take over the role of the injured Dedniel Núñez.
Since cementing themselves as postseason contenders, the Mets have added a couple of relievers via trade and will likely add at least one more before the trade deadline passes.
