The Mets didn’t squeeze a full solution out of Brooks Raley, but they did turn a short burst of value into something useful at the trade deadline.
For most of the season, Raley was exactly the kind of reliever a contender wants to have tucked into the middle innings. In 41.1 innings, the 38-year-old put up a 2.45 ERA and a 2.37 xERA, handling seventh-inning and setup work for Carlos Mendoza and then Andy Green.
That stretch mattered because the Mets’ bullpen was one of the few parts of the roster that held together. Before the deadline, the relief corps carried a 3.82 ERA, a 3.79 xERA and a 15.1 K-BB%, which ranked fourth in baseball.
Those numbers looked even better if Devin Williams’ innings were removed.
Still, the underlying picture around Raley never screamed “long-term breakout.” His slider was a plus pitch, but the rest of his arsenal was mostly ordinary.
He leaned more on weak contact than on swing-and-miss stuff, and his 15.0% K-BB% ranked 75th among relievers. The regression risk was sitting there in plain sight.
And once he got to Philadelphia, it showed up fast. Raley posted a 7.94 ERA in 11.1 innings with the Phillies, helped fuel what would have been one of the more dramatic late-season collapses imaginable, and wound up left off the Wild Card round postseason roster.
The wild part is that the pitcher itself barely changed; the results just flipped hard. That’s baseball, Susan.
The Mets at least came away with something for their trouble. John Spikerman profiles as a speed-and-OBP fourth outfielder type, and his power ticked up before the deal and then improved again after he joined New York. That still only moved him from “none” to “a bit below average,” but it was enough to push him into real prospect territory, with a chance to fill a bench role in the next season or two.
Luke Gabrysh may have been the more intriguing piece. His stuff continues to look nasty, with the best slider in MiLB by Stuff+ and one of the 10 best arsenals overall.
Those public-facing numbers aren’t perfect, and they’re not the same models teams are using behind closed doors, but they matter. More importantly, they suggest the Mets may have pulled off a real steal, even if the minor league ERA doesn’t scream it.
He’s expected to show up prominently in this offseason’s list process.
So the Mets didn’t get a magic answer from Raley’s hot stretch. What they did get was a chance to convert an unsustainable run into two prospects from a division rival, and that alone gave the deal some bite. If Spikerman and Gabrysh hit, this trade could keep paying off well beyond 2026.
In Other News...
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Among the names that could come into play are Jacob Reimer, Sammy Stafura and Jack Wenninger, and the key detail is that none of them are being treated as untouchable. Each has a different track record and a different fit on the field, which gives the Mets room to be selective if they decide to chase immediate help. The harder part is knowing how far they want to go in giving up prospect capital when the roster still needs both answers and flexibility. [Read more 🡒]
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The Braves have made a habit of locking up young players before their prices climb, and the Mets have every reason to study that model closely. Benge is part of a broader wave of youth the team hopes can add speed and energy, with stolen bases still a need and prospects Jefferson Rojas and Nick Morabito potentially part of that answer. The challenge now is deciding whether to act before Benges breakout season turns into something even more expensive to buy into. [Read more 🡒]
Jefferson Rojas Is Giving The Mets A Real Opening Day Dilemma
Jefferson Rojas has started to make the kind of noise that forces a front office to think ahead, and the Mets have a decision coming with his name on it. Expected to be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft before the 2027 season, he has put together a strong recent run that includes two home runs in the Dominican Winter League and a solid showing in Triple-A, enough to put him squarely on the radar as roster-building season approaches.
The real question for the Mets is not whether Rojas has improved his stock, but where he would fit if they decide to protect him and bring him onto the 40-man roster. Third base is part of that conversation, though his path there depends in part on what other players do with their contract decisions. For a team that is always balancing present needs against future control, Rojas has created the sort of Opening Day dilemma that tends to linger right up until the last minute. [Read more 🡒]