Before the New York Mets do anything else in terms of trades before the July 31 deadline, they're almost certainly going to acquire one to two relievers. This is because New York's bullpen has struggled of late, and it's clear that they need reinforcements if they're to help the rest of the roster make (and perform in) the postseason.
There should be plenty of relievers the Mets will be able to choose from. It will be up to the front office to discern which players best fit their needs without giving away too much in return.
The Mets especially need a left-handed pitcher, or at least a reliever who can be relied upon to get the game's best left-handed hitters out. And according to a July 23 article from Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic, the Mets could take an unconventional approach to addressing this need.
Mets notes with a focus on the deadline: bullpen, CF, prospects turning heads (story with @TimBritton) https://t.co/kZIjNh6In3
— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) July 23, 2025
The article noted that the Mets could pursue Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Shelby Miller or Pittsburgh Pirates hurler Dennis Santana to face lefties this season. The interesting aspect of this is that both of these guys are righties.
However, a deeper look into their stats shows why this would make sense. Lefties are hitting .095 with a .430 OPS against Miller this season, while righties are hitting .286 with a .679 OPS.
As for Santana, left-handed hitters have a .094 average and .258 OPS against him, while right-handed hitters have a .229 average and .578 OPS.
Of course, an elite left-handed reliever would be the expected way to get lefties out late in games. But these two righties' stats speak for themselves, and show that the Mets don't necessarily need to add a southpaw pitcher in order to defeat southpaw hitters down the stretch this season.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!