The Mets acquired left-handed reliever Gregory Soto from the Orioles in their first significant transaction prior to the MLB trade deadline on July 31. The team gave pitching prospects Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster back to Baltimore in exchange.
The Mets had been looking for bullpen help at the deadline, and they needed a left-handed reliever in particular after Danny Young and AJ Minter were out for the season due to Tommy John surgery. After struggling in previous years, Soto was sold from the Phillies to the Orioles at last year’s deadline. He was an All-Star for the Tigers in 2021 and 2022, recording 48 of his 56 saves over those two seasons.
Soto will arrive in New York with a 3.29 FIP and a 3.96 ERA. This season, the left-hander has walked 18 and struck out 44 in 36 1⁄3 innings.
In return, the Mets traded Aracena, who MLB Pipeline presently ranks as the system’s 19th best prospect (albeit he wasn’t on Amazin’ Avenue’s list of top prospects). The right-hander pitched 64 1⁄3 innings in eight starts and nine relief appearances for Port St. Lucie, recording 84 strikeouts and 35 walks with a 2.38 ERA. Foster, on the other hand, has made appearances this season for Syracuse and Binghamton.
He had a stellar 1.01 ERA in 26 2⁄3 innings at Double-A, but since being promoted on July 12, he has a 17.18 ERA in 3 2⁄3 innings at Triple-A.
Since the beginning of June, the Mets’ pen has struggled, recording 179 1⁄3 innings with a 5.02 ERA and 4.37 FIP. Recently, the Mets’ relievers have been overworked, which contributed to their poor outcomes. This is probably only the first step the team will take in the next several days to strengthen their bullpen.
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