During tonight’s ESPN broadcast, Buster Olney reported that the Mets are looking to trade for a starting pitcher before Thursday’s MLB Trade Deadline. Specifically, the Mets are looking for someone to ‘take the ball Game 1,” and mentioned a number of prospective players: former Met/current Royal Seth Lugo, Arizona’s Merrill Kelly, division rival Sandy Alcantara, and Twins’ ace Joe Ryan.
The Mets have their planned starting five healthy for the first time this season, but there is reason to think that
the Mets could use another starter. If the Mets decided to go with a six-man rotation, it would benefit their entire rotation, especially considering Kodai Senga’s preferred extra day’s rest, as well as the ability to limit the innings for Clay Holmes, who has exceeded his previous innings’ tally by almost 200% already. Plus, with Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas coming off of injury-plagued first halves, the extra rest couldn’t hurt.
This move would also allow Holmes to potentially move back to the bullpen, either late in the season or for the playoffs, without thinning out the rotation too much.
Of all the names mentioned by Olney, Ryan seems the least likely to be moved. While the Twins are quickly falling out of contention, Ryan is under team control for another two years. However, he may have the best stuff of the bunch. This year was Ryan’s first All-Star selection, and he’s already racked up 4.2 bWAR with a 2.82 ERA. To get Ryan from the Twins, the Mets would likely have to blow them away with a prospect package.
While many Mets fans would love to have Seth Lugo back on the team, it appears that Lugo just signed a two-year extension with a vesting option for 2028, so he appears to be off the table.
Of the names that Olney mentioned, that leaves just Kelly and Alcantara. Alcantara is a former Cy Young Award winner who is in his first season back from Tommy John Surgery. When he was healthy, Alcantara was one of the premier starters in the National League, but he’s currently rocking a devilish 6.66 ERA. This is a risky maneuver for both sides; if the Mets trade valuable prospects for a pitcher who will never return to his old self, that could blow up in their faces. And if the Marlins cut bait with a not-quite healthy Alcantara instead of letting him heal up properly, they’re giving up a player they have under contract for 2026 and, if they picked up the team option, 2027 as well.
Merrill Kelly would be the only true rental of the bunch, as his contract is up at the end of this season. Kelly is currently sporting a 3.22 ERA, having made 22 starts for the Diamondbacks. Kelly has never been a superstar, never making an All-Star game or getting Cy Young votes, but he’s been a steady presence in the Arizona rotation. Kelly, 36, was drafted by the Rays, played in the KBO for four years, and then signed with the Diamondbacks at the end of 2018.
Aside from an injury plagued year in 2024 (and the limited 2020 season), Kelly has made at least 27 starts in each full season in the majors.
The MLB Trade Deadline is Thursday, July 31st at 6pm ET.
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