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The New York Mets are in a battle with the Philadelphia Phillies for National League East supremacy. Entering play Friday, the Mets hold a 0.5 game lead over their division rivals. But whoever wins the division, both teams are likely to make the postseason. That makes the Gregory Soto trade highly prudent for the boys from the Big Apple.
Friday morning, the Mets acquired Soto, a left-handed reliever, from the Baltimore Orioles. In return, the Mets sent back Class A right-hander Wellington Aracena and Double-A right-hander Cameron Foster to the Orioles.
The move made sense on both accounts.
Baltimore, after having a fantastic season in 2024, has disappointed this season. They fell flat on their face to begin the season, and are clearly sellers entering the MLB Trade Deadline.
Meanwhile, the Mets are World Series contenders. New York's president of baseball operations, David Stearns, recently stated the team's top priority is improving the bullpen.
So, let's grade the Gregory Soto trade for the Orioles and Mets.
Orioles trade for 2 prospects
In return for Soto, Baltimore acquired two right-handed pitchers currently in the minors.
The more highly touted of the two, Wellington Aracena, was the No. 19-ranked prospect in the Mets' farm system. The 20-year-old righty has appeared in 17 games (eight starts) for St. Lucie this season and has shown tremendous growth. He has thrown 64 1/3 innings, to the tune of a 2.38 ERA with 84 Ks. The Dominican Republic native has always shown a propensity to be a strikeout pitcher.
Meanwhile, Cameron Foster appears to be just an added player in the deal. The 26-year-old is yet to make his MLB debut and does not appear to be making headway.
The deal may seem somewhat lopsided, but there is another angle to it. Soto is playing out the final year of his contract and will be a free agent after 2025. If Baltimore did not have plans to re-sign him this offseason, acquiring a promising 20-year-old with a live arm is nothing to scoff at.
Grade: C+
Mets land Soto to strengthen bullpen
The New York Mets were desperately in need of some bullpen depth. Some might wonder why they traded a solid prospect for a former All-Star closer when they have Edwin Diaz.
After all, Diaz is having another solid season with 21 saves and a sub-2.00 ERA. On the surface, it appears as though New York's pen is one of the better ones in the league. However, when you dig deeper, you learn why Soto's acquisition was so crucial.
Through the end of May, the Mets' bullpen led the league in ERA. However, since that time, they are 23rd with a 4.52 ERA, as several relievers are being overworked. The starting rotation is, to put it bluntly, not championship-caliber.
But every baseball fan knows that you can win without an elite starting rotation. But to have success in October, the bullpen is paramount. The fact that Gregory Soto is a veteran lefty who has shown he can perform at a high level is a bonus. The Mets only had to part ways with the No. 19 prospect in their system and a journeyman minor league reliever.
So, the cost was not high at all.
The only thing keeping this trade from being a steal is how Soto has performed this season. After a couple of stellar years for the Detroit Tigers, his last few years with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Orioles have left many to wonder what he has left in the tank.
Grade: B+
