The New York Mets will look to be buyers ahead of the July 31 Major League Baseball trade deadline.
One area of need for the Mets is the rotation, as New York has dealt with some key injuries to their rotation this season. Ahead of the deadline, MLB insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic linked the team to trading for Mitch Keller of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“A lot of teams have called Pittsburgh to inquire about Keller,” Bowden wrote. “The Pirates need offense and realize they’re going to have to trade from their starting rotation to acquire young, impact bats. Keller, 29, is signed through the 2028 season at an average annual salary of about $18 million. The Cubs and Mets are among the possible landing spots for Keller.”
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Keller is in the second year of a five-year, $77 million deal, and given he has multiple years of team control, it likely would cost quite a bit to acquire him. The right-hander is 3-10 with a 3.64 ERA in 18 starts this season with the Pirates.
However, New York is looking to solidify the rotation that currently features David Peterson, Paul Blackburn, Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes, and Blade Tidwell. Although Sean Manaea is nearing a return from injury, the Mets will still look to add at least one more starter for the playoff push.
The Mets are 49-38 and holding onto a Wild Card spot.
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