Mets Trade Proposal Lands Another Closer to Pair With Edwin Diaz

There’s no such thing as having too much pitching in Major League Baseball , and the New York Mets have to understand that with the injuries they’ve dealt with.

Heading into the bulk of the season, the Mets are hopeful that this impressive stretch will continue for them, and there is no reason for it not to, unless the pitching staff doesn’t do what it has done over the first part of the season.

Searching for a way for the Mets to improve their bullpen, as pitching will be needed at the deadline, Zachary Howell of Clutch Points proposed a deal for them to land Ryan Helsley , the National League Reliever of the Year in 2024.

“The Mets already have their guy with Edwin Díaz . However, an injury scare for the New York closer could have the team looking for insurance options,” Howell wrote .

“Even if Helsley doesn’t unseat him for the lead role in the bullpen, he can be an invaluable setup man for Carlos Mendoza . Controlling the end of games is crucial to success, and the Mets could use an upgrade at the end of games.”

Reports Suggest Helsley is Available

A deal for the New York Mets and Helsley comes down to what the Mets want to do.

The St. Louis Cardinals are expected to trade him, but his value might not be as high as it was a season ago.

After showing dominant stuff last season, posting a 2.04 ERA and leading the league in saves, he hasn’t been as great this season, posting a 3.75 ERA with just five saves.

Factor that in with his 11 strikeouts in 12.0 innings, and Helsley could be a bit better.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Cardinals hoped his trade value would be enhanced, but the opposite has happened to start the season.

“The Cardinals were hoping that hanging onto closer Ryan Helsley the first half of the season would enhance his trade value, but after saving a league-leading 49 games last season, he has only four saves in six opportunities with a (4.09) ERA and a (1.545) WHIP,” Nightengale said .

What Would the Mets Do With Edwin Diaz?

Considering the New York Mets already have Edwin Díaz, whom they signed to an expensive $102 million, five-year deal, it wouldn’t make much sense for them to bring another closer.

However, Helsley hits free agency at the end of the year, and they could view this as a win-now type of move.

For an organization in as big of a win-now situation as the Mets are due to their payroll, it makes some sense to trade for the right-hander.

If the Mets were to land Helsley, they’d need to get creative with their bullpen roles. Diaz would likely remain the closer when healthy, though there’s a scenario where Helsley could also handle ninth-inning duties.

With Diaz already under contract, the added competition shouldn’t be much of a concern for the right-hander. A back-end combination of Diaz and Helsley could give the Mets the most dominant bullpen duo in MLB.

Jon Conahan covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. Since 2019, his sports coverage has appeared at Sports Illustrated, oddschecker, ClutchPoints and Sportskeeda. More about Jon Conahan