NEW YORK —David Stearns has made his first move to try and bolster the Mets’ bullpen ranks.
The Mets announced that they have acquired right-handed reliever Phil Maton from the Tampa Bay Rays for either cash or a player to be named later. To make room on the roster, the Mets designated Joey Lucchesi for assignment.
Mets acquire reliever Phil Maton in trade with Rays for future considerations.
NEW YORK —David Stearns has made his first move to try and bolster the Mets’ bullpen ranks.
The Mets announced that they have acquired right-handed reliever Phil Maton from the Tampa Bay Rays for either cash or a player to be named later. To make room on the roster, the Mets designated Joey Lucchesi for assignment.
The 31-year-old Maton has thrown 35⅓ innings across 40 appearances for the Rays this season, posting a 1-2 record with 4.58 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 30 strikeouts and two saves. In his last 11 games, Maton has allowed one earned run in 12 innings while striking out 11 with six hits and one walk while chiseling down his ERA from 7.03 to down under four.
Maton is in his eighth season in Major League Baseball, with part of three seasons with the Astros including their World Series crown in 2022. He posted his best season in 2023 with the Astros, striking out 74 across 66 innings to post a 4-3 record with a 3.00 ERA and 1.12 WHIP.
The Mets will pick up the remainder of Maton’s one-year, $6.5 million contract, which he signed during the offseason. Maton will join the team on either Wednesday or Thursday, Stearns said.
The bullpen has arguably been the weakest link for the Mets this season. The relief unit is 18th in MLB in ERA (4.13) and 23rd in WHIP (1.33) and home runs per nine innings (1.06). They are also dealing with season-ending injuries to Brooks Raley and Drew Smith.
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