The surprise strength of the New York Mets in 2025 has been starting pitching. But does that mean they'll shy away from rotation upgrades at the deadline?
In David Stearns' tenure as president of baseball operations, it's becoming clear that the Mets have a competitive advantage. They can take veterans like Griffin Canning who have flopped with other big-league clubs and make them above-average with a couple of tweaks to their arsenal.
New York is still waiting on rotation reinforcements in the form of Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, and Paul Blackburn, who remain on the injured list. That might be all the help Stearns feels his team needs, especially because Manaea and Montas were supposed to be his key free-agent starters.
But one baseball writer still believes New York could bring in another veteran starter at the trade deadline.
On Monday, Zachary Howell of ClutchPoints named Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Zack Littell, an eight-year veteran who will be a free agent at the end of the season, as a potential Mets trade target at the Jul. 31 deadline.
"Bringing Littell in gives Carlos Mendoza another arm to turn to at the back end of his rotation. If nothing else, his experience makes him a good emergency option if they suffer another injury," wrote.
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"Littell's ERA is higher than all of the Mets' starters, but playing with their offensive support could help the 29-year-old bounce back after a rough start... The Mets have their eyes on the World Series, and Littell could help them get over the hump."
The 29-year-old Littell is 0-4 on the season with a 3.97 ERA in 65 2/3 innings. He's not a strikeout guy whatsoever, with only 42 of them so far, but he's proving to be a reliable innings-eater since arriving in the Rays organization midway through 2023.
With a $5.7 million salary and free agency looming, Littell is a near-lock to get traded if the Rays are hovering around or below .500. The question, at that point, becomes whether or not Stearns and the Mets see a fit.
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