David Stearns identified the club’s No. 1 trade deadline need as bullpen help.
The Mets president of baseball operations will seek external additions.
“If that doesn’t occur for some reason,” Stearns said Monday, “then we probably must begin to take into consideration a number of the arms at Triple-A and whether those guys sooner or later can impact us within the bullpen.”
Those arms include starters Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean, who will not be yet candidates for a serious league relief role but who could find their ways to the bullpen in the ultimate sprint of the season.
Sproat and McLean are top starting prospects who’re performing well enough with Triple-A Syracuse to be considered for promotions.
After a poor begin to his season, Sproat has reeled off 23 straight innings without allowing an earned run. McLean has been more consistent and posted a 2.58 ERA in 17 games with Syracuse and Double-A Binghamton this 12 months.
The Mets rotation, which had been racked by injuries earlier within the season, now could be healthy.
Stearns signaled the Mets didn’t need to convert minor league starters into relievers before being sure they’d not be needed as rotation depth.
“The challenge with [converting] in-season is when you do this, you possibly can’t reverse yourself in the identical season,” Stearns said before the Mets opened a series with the Angels at Citi Field. “… Once we shorten someone up to offer them a likelihood to be a member of our pen, really tough to construct them back up should you need them as a starter. And so we wish to be very cautious if we’re going to entertain that.”
While with the Brewers, Stearns tried top starting prospects similar to Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta out of the main league bullpen as a approach to shoehorn their strong arms onto a roster. Such a tactic with the Mets is a minimum of an option.
It is usually possible that Sproat and/or McLean can be called as much as plug a hole within the rotation.
And it’s also possible that the 2 spend their seasons within the minors. Stearns said he doesn’t feel pressured to call them up sooner or later this season, but he’s comfortable with their progress.
“Each those guys, I believe during the last three weeks, have taken meaningful steps forward of their development,” Stearns said. “I’m excited to see where it goes from here. And if there may be a necessity, I believe either of those guys may very well be ready over the subsequent couple months.”
Starling Marte could return in a “couple of days” manager Carlos Mendoza said, perhaps Wednesday within the series finale or Friday in San Francisco.
Marte is running as much as 90 percent and is hitting off a machine. The Mets don’t think he would require a rehab task.
“He’s getting close,” Mendoza said of Marte, who has been out since July 6 with a right knee bruise.
José Buttó also needs to be back soon after a 3rd rehab outing Sunday, during which he threw one other scoreless inning with Syracuse.
Mendoza was undecided whether Buttó, who has been out with an illness, would wish a fourth rehab game or could be activated Wednesday.
Paul Blackburn (right shoulder impingement) has been sent to Syracuse, where he is predicted to make his second rehab start Tuesday.
The Mets reclaimed righty Rico Garcia, who had pitched one game with the Yankees before being designated for task.
Garcia had spent the season in Syracuse before pitching in two games with the Mets early this month.
Richard Lovelady cleared waivers and was outrighted to Syracuse.
Dedniel Núñez, who will miss the season with elbow surgery, was transferred to the 60-day IL.
David Stearns identified the club’s No. 1 trade deadline need as bullpen help.
The Mets president of baseball operations will seek external additions.
“If that doesn’t occur for some reason,” Stearns said Monday, “then we probably must begin to take into consideration a number of the arms at Triple-A and whether those guys sooner or later can impact us within the bullpen.”
Those arms include starters Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean, who will not be yet candidates for a serious league relief role but who could find their ways to the bullpen in the ultimate sprint of the season.
Sproat and McLean are top starting prospects who’re performing well enough with Triple-A Syracuse to be considered for promotions.
After a poor begin to his season, Sproat has reeled off 23 straight innings without allowing an earned run. McLean has been more consistent and posted a 2.58 ERA in 17 games with Syracuse and Double-A Binghamton this 12 months.
The Mets rotation, which had been racked by injuries earlier within the season, now could be healthy.
Stearns signaled the Mets didn’t need to convert minor league starters into relievers before being sure they’d not be needed as rotation depth.
“The challenge with [converting] in-season is when you do this, you possibly can’t reverse yourself in the identical season,” Stearns said before the Mets opened a series with the Angels at Citi Field. “… Once we shorten someone up to offer them a likelihood to be a member of our pen, really tough to construct them back up should you need them as a starter. And so we wish to be very cautious if we’re going to entertain that.”
While with the Brewers, Stearns tried top starting prospects similar to Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta out of the main league bullpen as a approach to shoehorn their strong arms onto a roster. Such a tactic with the Mets is a minimum of an option.
It is usually possible that Sproat and/or McLean can be called as much as plug a hole within the rotation.
And it’s also possible that the 2 spend their seasons within the minors. Stearns said he doesn’t feel pressured to call them up sooner or later this season, but he’s comfortable with their progress.
“Each those guys, I believe during the last three weeks, have taken meaningful steps forward of their development,” Stearns said. “I’m excited to see where it goes from here. And if there may be a necessity, I believe either of those guys may very well be ready over the subsequent couple months.”
Starling Marte could return in a “couple of days” manager Carlos Mendoza said, perhaps Wednesday within the series finale or Friday in San Francisco.
Marte is running as much as 90 percent and is hitting off a machine. The Mets don’t think he would require a rehab task.
“He’s getting close,” Mendoza said of Marte, who has been out since July 6 with a right knee bruise.
José Buttó also needs to be back soon after a 3rd rehab outing Sunday, during which he threw one other scoreless inning with Syracuse.
Mendoza was undecided whether Buttó, who has been out with an illness, would wish a fourth rehab game or could be activated Wednesday.
Paul Blackburn (right shoulder impingement) has been sent to Syracuse, where he is predicted to make his second rehab start Tuesday.
The Mets reclaimed righty Rico Garcia, who had pitched one game with the Yankees before being designated for task.
Garcia had spent the season in Syracuse before pitching in two games with the Mets early this month.
Richard Lovelady cleared waivers and was outrighted to Syracuse.
Dedniel Núñez, who will miss the season with elbow surgery, was transferred to the 60-day IL.
