May 15, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets logo on the sleeve of J.D. Martinez during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Mets and Phillies both seeking bullpen help to secure NL East crown

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 3:00 PM ET

As the New York Mets get closer to wrapping up their West Coast trip, the trade deadline will also inch closer and become even more intense.

Due to the Mets' success this year, the team is going to be an active buyer at the deadline. That process has already begun for New York, but the front office appears they are going to continue to be aggressive and upgrade the team further.

With the National League being extremely difficult and having a team the caliber of the Philadelphia Phillies right on their tail in the division, strengthening a couple of areas for the stretch run makes a lot of sense. New York has the prospect capital and strong roster to make these additions, too.

The team's top priority will be to add one more talented relief pitcher to keep the pressure on their division rival. According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required), the Mets and Phillies' division race has extended into an arms race for relief help in the back of the bullpen.

MLB trade deadline cheat sheet: Top storylines, bold predictions, best-available players https://t.co/JkFDsmMf4F
— Jim Bowden⚾️ (@JimBowdenGM) July 30, 2025

Come October, having a strong bullpen is extremely important in baseball nowadays. There are very few starting pitchers who are going to be pitching deep into games in the playoffs, and that puts a lot of pressure on a bullpen to pick up the slack throughout a series.

For the Phillies, their bullpen woes were an issue for the team in 2024, and those issues have only gotten worse in 2025. Jordan Romano was not the answer for them at closer, and Jose Alvarado is going to be ineligible to pitch in the postseason.

So far, both teams have made upgrades to their bullpens, with the Mets trading for Gregory Soto and the Phillies signing David Robertson.

New York fortunately has the upper hand in the matter, with Edwin Diaz closing games in the ninth inning. Philadelphia certainly feels like a team that has to make a significant splash to improve its closer situation, while the Mets could settle for just adding another high-leverage capable arm.

With the deadline quickly approaching, expect to see both teams continue to try to improve their bullpen.

This article first appeared on New York Mets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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