The Mets’ 2025 deadline ended up being a mixed bag, but the kind of mixed bag that can swing a season either way. One move brought real help.
A couple others went sideways fast. And a few others never had much chance to matter from the start.
Ryan Helsley was supposed to be the big bullpen jolt. The Mets brought in the flamethrowing right-hander to give Edwin Diaz another elite arm late in games, and on paper it made all the sense in the world.
Instead, his two months in Queens were a mess. Helsley posted a 7.20 ERA in 22 appearances, struck out 22 and walked 11, and his struggles became one of the reasons the Mets never got a real playoff push going.
For a two-time All-Star, it was a full-blown flop.
Jesús Báez, meanwhile, was the kind of prospect who looked useful on the surface but probably never had a clear path in New York. Francisco Lindor has the shortstop spot locked up for what is likely the next five seasons, and the Mets also had Elian Peña and Wandy Asigen as more promising infield options. Báez was a name with some appeal, but not a piece that looked likely to change the big-league picture.
Nate Dohm has had a rougher time on the other side of that deal. He flashed with a 2.62 ERA in 10 starts for the Brooklyn Cyclones, but that success hasn’t carried over to the Cardinals. In 11 High-A starts this season, the 23-year-old owns a 6.80 ERA and has walked 29 batters, just three fewer than he had in all of 2025 despite making 11 more starts.
Tyler Rogers was the one deadline addition that really worked. Plenty of people called the package an overpay, but the Mets got exactly what they needed from the submarine right-hander.
He settled into a 6th/7th-inning role, made 28 appearances, and finished with a 2.30 ERA and 1.098 WHIP. That was a clean win for New York.
The Mets even tried to bring the 35-year-old back in the offseason on a reasonable deal, but he took a three-year, $37 million contract with the Blue Jays instead, and the Mets moved on to Luke Weaver, who has been a big-time success.
The Giants’ side of that Rogers deal has worked out too, which is why it feels like a win-win. Drew Gilbert was the headliner.
He got promoted to San Francisco’s roster last August and hit .190 in 39 games then, but in 2026 he took on a much bigger role and became a steady outfield option, playing 80 games with a .226 average, .656 OPS, four homers and 21 RBIs. Blade Tidwell, the No. 9 prospect in the Giants’ system, also reached the majors this season, throwing eight games with a 3.00 ERA before heading back to Triple-A to keep starting.
José Butto, though, has had a tougher go of it, putting up a 6.14 ERA across 24 appearances.
Cedric Mullins was another move that looked light on paper and even lighter in practice. The Mets wanted to upgrade center field, but Mullins’ two months in Queens were rough.
He hit .182 in 42 games, struck out 35 times, posted a .565 OPS, and even slipped defensively, which was notable given his reputation. Carlos Mendoza eventually said he was missing good pitches, and that led to a benching.
The Mets gave up very little, but the return never came close to matching the hope.
The three undrafted minor league relievers New York sent out in that trade still haven’t made a real impact in Baltimore, but that doesn’t change how badly Mullins played. The line was ugly enough on its own.
Gregory Soto was another bullpen swing that didn’t land. The Mets saw a cost-effective way to reshape the relief group, but Soto immediately struggled.
In 25 appearances, he had a 4.50 ERA, struck out 26 and walked six, but he also gave up 33 hits and finished his Mets run with a -0.4 bWAR. Like the Mullins deal, this was a case of the Mets sending out two unranked prospects for a player they expected to help right away, and the results never matched the intent.
The Orioles ended up with Wellington Aracena in that deal, and they later flipped him to the Diamondbacks for Blaze Alexander, who is currently No. 20 in Arizona’s system.
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Mets Suddenly Have A Little Known Lefty Fans Need To Watch
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The arm drawing attention has paired a sharp ERA with solid strikeout and walk numbers, the kind of line that suggests more than a hot week or two. He was already effective last season, and the step forward in his control has made him harder to ignore, even if the long-term path still points well beyond this summer and leaves plenty to be sorted out before he gets much closer to Queens. [Read more 🡒]