The New York Mets’ relief pitching hasn’t been doing well since the trade deadline at the end of last July. The most recent example can be found in the eight consecutive losses suffered this month, a streak in which 24 of the 47 runs scored by the opposition came in the sixth through ninth innings.
The arrival of Ryan Helsley was intended to stabilize the bullpen, but it hasn’t worked out well for them. Helsley came with the 2024 NL Reliever of the Year award to his name, but with the Mets, he has only managed a 9.00 ERA with 16 earned runs allowed in just 16 innings.
However, it seems the problem isn’t just that Helsley hasn’t been able to perform at his best with his new team, but that the Mets had the potential to acquire Jhoan Duran, or at least made a greater effort for him.
A recent report from the New York Post’s MLBinsider Jon Heyman revealed that the Minnesota Twins were interested in doing business with the Mets regarding Duran. Their interest was specifically related to the Mets’ 21-year-old prospect Jonah Tong.
“The Twins sought two well-regarded prospects for Duran, and though the Phillies seemed to have only one prospect totally off-limits (righty pitcher Andrew Painter), the Mets were generally reluctant to give up any of their top five prospects (Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat, Jett Williams, Carson Benge),” Heyman wrote in his article. “One other thing heard: They weren’t going to give up Tong, who the Twins liked, for a reliever.”
Duran ended up with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he’s had an extraordinary performance. Entering Saturday, he had a 1.53 ERA, with only three earned runs allowed in 17 2/3 innings.
Since the trade deadline, the Phillies’ record entering Saturday was 27-13, compared to the Mets’ 15-19. As a result, the Philadelphia Phillies have already overwhelmingly won the NL East, while the New York Mets are fighting for the final wild card.
Not only did the Mets not trade Tong, but they have already started him in four games since late August. Although he initially seemed inconsistent, his most recent outing was outstanding. He pitched five innings with no earned runs and while striking out eight batters against the San Diego Padres.