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 Zac Gallen named ideal Mets trade match
Image credit: ClutchPoints

As there is speculation around potential trades that the New York Mets could do before the deadline, one name that has been mentioned as being a fit is Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen. While there will be an immense amount of rumors around the Mets before the trade deadline, Jeff Passan of ESPN sees Gallen fitting with the team that needs his talents.

In Passan’s latest column about what would be the top move for each contender in the MLB, he would put New York with Gallen, saying that the team has a weakness in depth with their pitching.

“The Mets started 45-24 on the strength of their starting pitching,” Passan wrote. “With a 2.79 ERA that was nearly a quarter-run better than the second-best rotation, they cut the figure of a juggernaut. Since June 13, their starters’ 5.61 ERA is worse than every team in baseball aside from Washington. And if your starters are getting compared to those of the Nationals, something went haywire.”

“Gallen has looked more like his old self in recent starts, and if his home run rate stabilizes — typically one per nine, it has jumped to 1.6 — alongside a perilously low strand rate normalizing, he can shake off the 5.15 ERA and be a real difference-maker for the Mets before hitting free agency after the season,” Passan continued. “Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns doesn’t, as a general rule, spend big on pitching. In this case, though, an investment in Gallen makes too much sense for the Mets not to consider.”

Despite the Mets and Zac Gallen link, the pitcher doesn’t like the rumors

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen (23) delivers a pitch in the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

While some in the baseball world believe there should be untouchables with the Mets in regards to prospects, adding Gallen to the team would no doubt be a huge addition. Though it has been a relatively down season for the 29-year-old, who has a 5.15 ERA to go along with 107 strikeouts and a 7-9 record, he’s been back to his former self in recent outings.

Gallen would give his thoughts on the amount of trade speculation he’s been in, saying he doesn’t want to be in those types of conversations, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

“I would like to not be in that discussion,” Gallen said. “I would like for us – and it starts with me – to put us in a position where the front office believes this is a team they can add to, where we can finish this thing out and see what happens come October. Let’s see what happens.”

At any rate, New York is second in the NL East division with a  53-39 record before Thursday afternoon’s game against the Baltimore Orioles. Before closing out the double-header on Thursday against Baltimore, the final series before the All-Star break will be against the Kansas City Royals, starting on Friday.

This article first appeared on MLB on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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