If the New York Mets want to reach the World Series in October, they need more impact arms in their bullpen. An MLB insider recently offered up a bold trade idea for the club to get a pair of them. But the cost could be a top 10 prospect.
The Mets have a lot of things going for them. They have a formidable lineup. And a starting staff that has been one of the best in baseball despite not being at full strength all year. However, one obvious weak spot is their bullpen. The Athletic's MLB insider Jim Bowden offered an interesting trade idea this week that sees New York acquire a pair of talented relievers in one deal.
"The Mets are going to be in a dogfight all season with the Phillies. And in their rear-view mirror, the Braves could start creeping closer and closer," Bowden wrote . "To prevail in the NL East or secure a wild-card spot, the Mets need to improve their bullpen depth at the deadline. In this trade proposal, they would land the Rockies' two best high-leverage relievers, Bird and Halvorsen.
"Bird has had the better season statistically (2.06 ERA in 33 appearances, 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings). But Halvorsen has more upside, and with the help of the Mets' pitching and analytics departments, might develop into an impact closer in time. Bird, 29, is under team control through 2028; Halvorsen, 25, through 2030."
Getting a pair of difference-making relievers, and one that could potentially replace Edwin Diaz down the line, is a very beneficial deal for New York. But what will be the cost? Bowden believes it would take the Mets sending prospects Drew Gilbert and Chris Suero to finalize a deal.
Gilbert's name may be familiar to Mets fans. He was the player the team was willing to pay the rest of Justin Verlander 's contract to get in a trade with the Astros in 2023. The Triple-A prospect is ranked as the ninth best in the system on MLB.com . The outfielder has a slash line of .238/.346/.383/.729 with six homers, 32 RBIs, and 34 runs mostly in Triple-A this season.
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