Mets add to the bullpen - acquire Phil Maton from the Rays

Maton has struggled overall in 2024, although he has shown signs of improvement as of late

The Mets - who are in dire need of reinforcements for their bullpen - made a trade with the Rays to acquire RHP Phil Maton in exchange for either a player to be named later or cash considerations.

To make room for Maton on the 40-man roster, the club designated LHP Joey Lucchesi for assignment.

This season hasn’t come easy for the 31-year-old Maton, having pitched to a 4.58 ERA in 40 appearances over 35.1 IP in 2024. He has allowed 29 hits and 18 walks against only 30 strikeouts this season with his walk rate increasing by over one per nine innings while his strikeout rate has declined 2.5 per nine.

However, Maton has allowed only one run and six hits with one walk and 11 strikeouts over his last 11 appearances, lowering his ERA from 6.56 to 4.58 during that span.

The Mets simply had to make a move for their beleaguered bullpen, which has a 7.96 ERAin 46.1 IP since June 23. With the Mets in a 17 game in 17 day stretch leading into the All-Star Game and their rotation struggling to provide significant length on a daily basis, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns needed to make an immediate external acquisition merely to relieve what is an exhausted, undermanned and overexposed bullpen.

The Mets have been dealt serious blows to the personnel in their bullpen, having lost Drew Smith and Brooks Raley to season-ending elbow injuries, Sean Reid-Foley to shoulder problems and both absences and inconsistency from Edwin Díaz.

As such, the club’s 4.16 ERA among their relievers ranks 17th best in the big leagues in 2024. Their 16 blown saves are the seventh-most in the big leagues as well.

Enter Maton, who will attempt to help plug one of the many major holes in their bullpen.

Maton signed a one-year, $6.25 million deal in the off-season with a club option for $7.75 million in 2025. There’s a $250,000 buyout if the Mets do not exercise his option, bringing the minimum amount due to $6.5 million.

Stearns told reporters at Citi Field on Monday the Mets will assume all of the remaining amount owed to Maton.

Maton’s career has been largely up and down, with his best seasons coming with the Astros in 2022 and 2023 when he compiled a 3.42 ERA with 147 strikeouts and just 49 walks over 131.2 IP over two seasons. His career has spanned eight seasons with the Rays, Astros, Guardians and Padres.