Mets Reportedly Trade for Ryan Helsley After Rogers Deal, Cardinals Get 3 Prospects
The New York Mets are addressing the bullpen in a major way.
The Mets are reportedly acquiring St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan, in exchange for a trio of prospects: Shortstop Jesus Baez (the team's No. 8 overall prospect), pitcher Nate Dohm (No. 14) and pitcher Frank Elissalt.
That follows the Mets also adding reliever Tyler Rogers from the San Francisco Giants earlier on Wednesday.
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For a Mets team that was just swept by the San Diego Padres—which included the bullpen giving up a walk-off single on Monday and six runs on Tuesday—and finds itself in a battle with the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East, bolstering the relief options was a must.
It didn't come cheap. The Athletic's Keith Law described the deal as a "f--king heist" in favor of the Cardinals, given that Helsley will be a free agent after the season and St. Louis got promising prospects in return.
Still, Helsley is a major addition. The 31-year-old is a two-time All-Star and has gone 3-1 this season with a 3.00 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 41 strikeouts in 36 innings and 21 saves in 26 opportunities. He led all of baseball with 49 saves last season.
It's hard to imagine Edwin Díaz (23 saves in 25 opportunities) being moved out of the closer role, so Helsley is probably being added to handle the eighth inning. Having Rogers, Helsley and Díaz to finish out the final three innings of games is formidable.
Rogers was the less-prominent addition on Wednesday, but he's a reliable option as well. The 34-year-old is 4-3 this season with a 1.80 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 38 strikeouts in 50 innings, making an MLB-leading 53 total appearances. He's been one of the more reliable relievers in the sport over the past several years.
So the Mets aren't messing around as they seek a World Series title. Helsley and Rogers are each rentals, and neither came cheap, but the Mets clearly are fine pushing their chips to the center of the table this summer.
