The New York Mets have climbed back into a first-place tie in the National League East with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets had been slumping at the end of June.
However, they are going to need some help at the trade deadline if they want to make a push in the second half. Their pitching staff has been hit hard by injuries.
The starting rotation in particular has taken its fair share of hits, so it will be important for New York to strengthen that group.
The Athletic's Tim Britton, Aaron Gleeman and Chad Jennings listed the Top 40 trade candidates. Among them was right-hander Zac Gallen, and the Mets were listed as a fit.
"Gallen’s inconsistent season has mirrored Arizona’s on the whole. Each time he looks like his old self, he follows it up with a string of pedestrian outings. The stuff has really regressed, and the peripheral numbers support an ERA that starts with a five. So an acquiring team here is really betting on the track record of a 29-year-old who, until this season, had always been good. Gallen is a free agent at the end of the season."
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The Arizona Diamondbacks have not declared themselves sellers just yet, but they are trending in that direction. Gallen's value has certainly taking a hit thanks to his struggles.
However, the Mets have an obvious need for starting pitching, and it would make sense for them to at least inquire about Gallen's availability. The 29-year-old right-hander is 7-9 with a 5.15 ERA and 0.5 WAR in 19 starts.
Gallen still is eating innings, having pitched 110 total innings this season while also recording 107 strikeouts, so acquiring him wouldn't necessarily be betting on the wrong horse.
New York will need to be cognizant of his struggles. But if he goes to a team that is firmly in the playoff race rather than one that is on the fringes like Arizona, he could find a way to bounce back to his old form down the stretch.
We'll see if the Mets inquire about Gallen.
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