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Mets Acquire Matt Gage

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The Mets announced this afternoon that they’ve acquired left-hander Matt Gage from the Dodgers in exchange for cash considerations. Gage was subsequently optioned to Triple-A. The Mets transferred right-hander Drew Smith to the 60-day injured list to make room for Gage on the 40-man roster.

Gage, 31, was a tenth-round pick by the Giants back in 2014 but didn’t make his big league debut until 2022 as a member of the Blue Jays. Since then, he’s appeared in 16 games between the 2022 and 2023 campaigns at the big league level with Toronto and Houston. He’s performed quite well in that time, with a fantastic 1.83 ERA and a solid 3.97 FIP in 19 2/3 innings of work. He sports an impressive 26% strikeout rate across his time in the majors but has walked an elevated 11.7% of opponents as well, raising questions about his control.

Gage arrived in L.A. as part of the Caleb Ferguson trade with the Yankees over the winter and re-signed with the club on a minor league deal back in April shortly after being released from his big league contract. He’s pitched for the club at the Triple-A level since then, posting a decent 4.29 ERA in 21 innings with ratios reminiscent of the ones he flashed during his time in the majors. He struck out an impressive 29.3% of batters faced with L.A.’s Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City but paired that high-octane stuff with a 13% walk rate. The Dodgers opted to select Gage to the 40-man roster last week after he triggered an opt-out clause in his contract, but he remained at the Triple-A level for the remainder of his time in the organization.

Now with the Mets, Gage figures to serve as optionable bullpen depth for a club that has seen its relievers struggle in recent months. Since the start of May, Mets relievers have struggled to a 4.62 ERA that bests only the Pirates and Rockies among NL clubs, and their 4.50 FIP during that same timeframe ranks fourth from the bottom in the majors. In particular, the Mets have struggled to find production from the left side in the bullpen this year. Veteran southpaw Jake Diekman has posted a 5.06 ERA and 5.61 FIP in 26 2/3 innings of work during his age-37 season for the club this year, while depth options Tyler Jay (7.71 ERA in 4 2/3 innings) and Josh Walker (5.11 ERA in 12 1/3 innings) have performed even worse in small sample sizes. The struggles of the club’s internal options should provide Gage with a relatively clear path to a role at the big league level for the Mets, so long as he can produce at a level anywhere near what he’s done in the past for the Blue Jays and Astros.

As for Smith, his placement on the 60-day IL is hardly a surprise given recent reporting that the righty is likely to require Tommy John surgery due to significant damage to his ulnar collateral ligament. He was already ticketed for an extended absence prior to his placement on the IL, and the transfer should not impact his timeline with the remainder of his 2024 campaign already in doubt.

Mets Select Eric Orze’s Contract

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The Mets announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Eric Orze from Triple-A Syracuse.  Fellow righty Ty Adcock has been optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.

Adcock was one of three relievers who saw action in the Mets’ 14-2 loss to the Pirates last night, and Adcock had a particularly rough night in getting charged with six runs over 1 2/3 innings of work.  Today’s transaction brings a fresh arm into New York’s bullpen, and it also puts the 26-year-old Orze in position to make his Major League debut.

A fifth-round pick for the Mets in the pandemic-shortened 2020 draft, Orze had quite a journey just to start his pro career, overcoming both testicular cancer and skin cancer during his days at the University of New Orleans.  He quickly rose up the minor league ladder to Triple-A by the end of the 2021 season, but has since remained at the top affiliate over parts of four seasons now, posting a 4.64 ERA over 159 total frames with Syracuse.

Home runs and walks have been Orze’s biggest issues, as he has a 1.4 HR/9 and 12.28% walk rate over his Triple-A career.  This season in particular, Orze has a 1.64 HR/9 and 13.3% walk rate, yet he has continued to miss bats in impressive fashion.  His 33.9% strikeout rate is his best yet over his three full seasons in Syracuse, and he has a 31.72K% as a whole in Triple-A.

It’s possible Orze’s selection might result in just a proverbial cup of coffee in the majors, yet with the Mets looking to fill holes in an injury-riddled bullpen, there’s certainly some opportunity for Orze to gain more time on the active roster if he pitches well.  He’ll join a wide array of right-handers in a Mets bullpen that features only one healthy left-handed arm in Jake Diekman.

Matt Festa Elects Free Agency

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Right-hander Matt Festa has elected free agency, per Will Sammon of The Athletic on X. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week. He had the right to elect free agency by virtue of having a previous career outright.

Festa, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Mets in May. He tossed 15 1/3 innings for Triple-A Syracuse with a nice 1.76 earned run average. He struck out 32.2% of batters faced, limited walks to a 5.1% rate and got grounders on 45.7% of balls in play.

That’s a small sample size but it could hardly have gone better and it allowed Festa to returns to the big leagues. He was selected to the roster on Sunday and put into that day’s game, though his appearance could hardly have gone much worse.

The Mets and Astros were tied at five after 10 innings and Festa got the ball in the 11th. The inning started with Alex Bregman on second, then the Mets decided to intentionally walk Yordan Alvarez, leaving Festa to start with two runners on and none out. He went on to surrender four hits in the inning from there, allowing the free runner and four others to score as the Mets lost 10-5.

He was designated for assignment a few days later and now returns to the open market. It would be easy to sneer at a pitcher who currently has an ERA of 36.00 on the year, but Festa’s larger track record is more intriguing. He has thrown 94 2/3 innings with a 4.66 ERA, 25.1% strikeout rate and 10.9% walk rate. In 97 1/3 minor league innings since the start of 2021, he has a 1.85 ERA, 29.3% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate.

Mets Release Trayce Thompson

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The Mets have released outfielder Trayce Thompson, according to his transaction log on MLB.com. He signed a minor league contract with the club this past offseason.

A second-round pick in the 2009 draft, Thompson made his MLB debut with the White Sox in 2015. He has since spent time with the Dodgers, Yankees, Athletics, Guardians, Diamondbacks, Cubs, Padres, Tigers, and Mets organizations, including two separate stints with the Dodgers and three with the White Sox.

Thompson, now 33, had the best year of his career with the Dodgers in 2022. He joined the team in mid-June (after short stints with the Padres and Tigers) and stuck on the active roster for the rest of the season. Over 74 games with L.A. that year, he slashed .268/.364/.537 with 14 doubles and 13 home runs. He also played well in the field, putting up a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage and 4 Outs Above Average (OAA) in 496 2/3 defensive innings. After his impressive performance, Thompson made the Dodgers’ Opening Day roster in 2023 but struggled to replicate his success from the year prior. He spent almost all of June and July on the IL with a strained oblique, and the Dodgers traded him back to the White Sox at the deadline as part of a package for Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly. Thompson struggled even more over the rest of the year in Chicago, and the White Sox outrighted him after the season. He elected free agency shortly afterward.

The Mets came calling this past winter, and Thompson agreed to a minor league deal with his tenth organization in December. Although he received an invitation to spring training and produced an .891 OPS in 12 Grapefruit League games, he failed to earn a spot on New York’s Opening Day roster. He hit reasonably well in 62 games for the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, hitting 16 home runs and posting an .800 OPS in 253 plate appearances. However, the International League has a high standard for offense, as evidenced by the fact that Thompson’s .800 OPS translates to a below-average 95 wRC+. The Mets recently needed to promote an outfielder when Starling Marte went on the IL, but it was Ben Gamel – another veteran who signed a minor league deal with the club this offseason – who got the call.

Thompson is now eligible to seek his next opportunity and perhaps join his eleventh MLB organization.

Which Other Postseason Hopefuls Might Have Arms To Spare?

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The Rays made a somewhat unconventional trade Wednesday, shipping right-hander Aaron Civale to the Brewers in exchange for infield prospect Gregory Barrios. Tampa Bay had the luxury of moving a current member of its rotation despite the fact that the team is still in the Wild Card race and still harbors postseason aspirations. That's due primarily to the organizational depth in the rotation, which was thin earlier in the season but is deepening as the year wears on and as injured arms like Shane Baz, Jeffrey Springs and (eventually) Drew Rasmussen reenter the fold. Baz will step into the Rays' rotation in Civale's place this Friday.

Most teams don't have that type of cushion. Starting pitching is always at a premium, and starters -- particularly those with multiple years of club control remaining -- tend to be the most coveted asset at nearly every MLB trade deadline.

And yet, the Rays aren't the only club that's poised to operate in this capacity over the next 27 days. There are a handful of teams who could walk the line of dealing from the big league roster -- specifically the rotation -- despite hoping to find themselves playing a prominent role in October baseball. Let's take a look at some possibilities.

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Mariners Claim Duke Ellis From Mets

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The Mariners announced that they have claimed outfielder Duke Ellis off waivers from the Mets and sent him to Triple-A Tacoma. The latter club had designated him for assignment recently. The Mariners already had a vacancy on their 40-man, which is now full.

Ellis, 26, had never appeared on a 40-man roster until a month ago but has now been on three of them in that time. The White Sox selected him on June 4 and he has since bounced to the Mets and now Mariners via waiver claims.

The interest is largely due to his wheels. In his 968 minor league plate appearances, he has a batting line of .241/.329/.333, which translates to an 88 wRC+. However, he stole 117 bases in 134 tries during that time. While he was briefly in the big leagues with the White Sox, he swiped four bags in four tries.

Such players can often carve out roles on contending clubs, particularly with expanded rosters in September. A key pinch running opportunity late in a game can often be the difference between a win and a loss. That’s especially true in the age of the free runner in extra innings.

The Mariners had an open roster spot, so there’s little harm in them grabbing Ellis for now. He can take some at-bats in Tacoma, though perhaps they will try to pass him through waivers at some point down the line or call him up to take advantage of his speed.

Mets Designate Matt Festa For Assignment

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The Mets announced Wednesday that they’ve designated right-hander Matt Festa for assignment. His spot on the active roster will go to right-hander Christian Scott, who has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to start today’s game.

Festa, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Mets on May 20 and posted outstanding Triple-A numbers prior to being selected to the MLB roster recently: 15 1/3 innings, 1.76 ERA, 32.2% strikeout rate, 5.1% walk rate. He only got into one game at the big league level with the Mets, however, and the results were nightmarish. In one inning, he was roughed up for five runs (four earned) on four hits and a walk. That lone frame was enough to inflate his career ERA from 4.32 (in 93 2/3 innings) to 4.66.

A former seventh-round pick, Festa has now pitched in parts of five big league seasons, the other four coming as a member of the Mariners. The 6’1″, 195-pound right-hander has seen his career slowed by injuries, most notably including 2020 Tommy John surgery. That wiped out his entire 2020 campaign and the bulk of his 2021 season as well.

Festa saw big league time in the two years prior to that surgery (2018-19) and the two years following the completion of his rehab (2022-23). In addition to the aforementioned 4.66 ERA in the majors, he’s turned in a sharp 25.1% strikeout rate to go along with plus swinging-strike rates. His 10.9% walk rate is also a couple percentage points worse than the league average, however, and his 92.6 mph average fastball velocity is rather pedestrian.

Beyond his strong showing with the Mets’ Triple-A club, Festa pitched decently with the Padres’ top affiliate in El Paso after signing a minor league deal in the offseason. He logged 16 innings and yielded eight runs, though a .360 average on balls in play didn’t do him any favors in that small sample. He fanned 21.6% of his opponents during that brief stay in the Padres organization and turned in a 9.5% walk rate.

In parts of five Triple-A seasons, Festa has a 2.10 ERA, a 27.7% strikeout rate and a 9% walk rate. He’ll be traded or placed on outright waivers within the next five days now that he’s been designated for assignment (and waivers themselves would take another 48 hours). Any team that acquires or claims Festa would need to put him right on the major league roster, as he’s out of minor league options. He’s been outrighted once in the past (2020), so Festa would have the right to reject a Triple-A assignment if he goes unclaimed on waivers.

MLBTR Podcast: The Rays Could Deal Starters, Garrett Crochet, James Wood And Free Agent Power Rankings

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

* This podcast was recorded on the evening of July 2, before the Rays traded Aaron Civale to the Brewers.

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • What are the Astros going to do at the deadline? (42:15)
  • The Rangers are terrible but are World Series champions for the first time. Can they sell even if it’s the best thing for the team? (46:50)
  • Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris says the club could buy or sell. What do the final months of the season look like in Detroit? (54:30)

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Kodai Senga To Begin Rehab Assignment; Mets To Recall Christian Scott

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It seems reinforcements for the Mets’ rotation are on the horizon. Right-hander Kodai Senga, who’s missed the entire season thus far with a shoulder injury, is slated to throw 40 pitches in the first start of a minor league rehab assignment, per Will Sammon of The Athletic. New York will also recall top prospect Christian Scott from Triple-A Syracuse to start Wednesday’s game, manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed to reporters (X link via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). Speculation regarding that possibility began when Scott was scratched from a scheduled start in Syracuse despite not having an injury.

Senga suffered a moderate capsule strain in his shoulder back in spring training. What was originally supposed to be a much shorter absence has been prolonged by multiple setbacks. Senga was facing live hitters in late April but scaled back to bullpen sessions without hitters as he looked to get his mechanics back on track. While going through that step, he incurred a triceps injury that necessitated a cortisone injection and led to another five-day shutdown. He’s been built up slowly but now seems ready to pitch in a game setting. He’ll surely require multiple rehab starts before he’s cleared to return. Tomorrow’s start will kick off a 30-day rehab window, though he can be activated earlier than that 30-day maximum, of course.

As for Scott, he’ll return to the big leagues after impressing in his first five MLB starts earlier this season. The 2021 fifth-rounder tossed 27 2/3 innings of 3.90 ERA ball with a 22.3% strikeout rate, 5.4% walk rate, 34.2% grounder rate and 0.98 HR/9. Since returning to the minors, Scott has made four starts but been limited to 17 innings as the Mets look to manage his workload.

The 25-year-old Scott tossed only 87 2/3 innings last year and is already up to 70 innings this season. Managing his workload in the minors is easier than doing so in the majors, where the surging Mets have climbed back to .500 and thrust themselves into the midst of the NL Wild Card picture. Scott will now step back into the rotation alongside Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, Jose Quintana and David Peterson.

The looming changes to the Mets’ rotation come at a time when there have been rumblings about the team’s willingness to potentially move a veteran big league starter while still taking aim at pushing for the postseason. A trade involving staff leader Severino seems quite difficult to envision — and indeed, SNY’s Andy Martino reported yesterday is overwhelmingly unlikely so long as the team remains in playoff reach — but Quintana seems feasible (speculatively speaking).

The Mets have a growing collection of depth, with Severino, Manaea, Quintana, Peterson and Scott in the majors, Senga on the mend, and the trio of Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi and Jose Butto on the 40-man roster down in Triple-A. Last year’s second-round pick, Brandon Sproat, has a sub-2.00 ERA in 67 innings between High-A and Double-A this season.

Senga’s progress and Scott’s performance in his big league return will be worth watching with a careful eye, as they’ll both be factors in the Mets’ willingness (or lack thereof) to deal from the big league staff in the weeks ahead. If the rotation depth looks sufficient, perhaps a veteran like Quintana could be flipped for some big league bullpen help — the sort of exchange between buyers that could fill needs on both clubs (while, in the Mets’ case, potentially shaving as much as $13MM from the books between Quintana’s salary and luxury-tax hit).

The Risk/Reward Of Acquiring Players With Opt-Outs

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With four weeks until the trade deadline, a lot remains uncertain. Most teams still find themselves in a muddled middle and will wait until the last few days to determine how aggressively they'll buy or sell. That's especially true in the National League, where nine teams are within six games of one another as they fight for the final two Wild Card spots. The Mets, Giants and Cubs are among those borderline contenders. It wouldn't be especially surprising to see any of them wind up as sellers depending on how they play over the next few weeks.

The Mets are the NL's top non-playoff team and approaching the deadline as a buyer for the moment. Dropping a few games back in the standings by the end of the month could change that mentality. San Francisco and Chicago are a little further out and perhaps likelier sellers. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer suggested late last week that the team would need to perform better to avoid a sell-off. Why focus on those three specifically? Each has a notable player who'd be desirable trade candidates if not for their contract structures.

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