The New York Mets badly needed another competent lefty in the bullpen for the second half. However, a new report suggests that they specifically targeted Gregory Soto because of his potential to shut down some monster bats in the playoffs.
On Friday, the Mets made their first big splash before next week’s MLB trade deadline. Acquiring Orioles reliever Soto for a pair of minor leaguers. Not only does Soto give the club a very nice lefty combo with Brooks Raley, but the 30-year-old has succeeded under the pressure of finishing games. Both his All-Star appearances (2021 and 2022) came as the Tigers’ closer.
It was a trade that received praise from MLB analysts. However, on Saturday, New York Post MLB insider Joel Sherman detailed an even more important reason why he was at the top reliever wish list. The team will face some outstanding left-handed hitters in the second half and the playoffs. And the combo of Raley and Soto could be those sluggers’ kryptonite.
- Gregory Soto stats: 3.96 ERA, 1.294 WHIP, 44 strikeouts, 18 walks
“They have to get through Philadelphia to win the division. And to do that, you’ve got to get through Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber,” Sherman began by saying in a new YouTube post. “If you don’t have good lefties against them, it’s problematic.
“The Dodgers last year, the team that played them the best in the playoffs was the Padres. Who did the Padres get at the trade deadline? Among others, they got Tanner Scott, who was kind of a Shohei Ohtani slayer. 1-9 for his career during the regular season, then in the postseason, he’s 0-4 with four strikeouts.
“Ohtani is a combined 1-11 against Raley and Soto. 1-6 against Raley, 0-5 against Soto. Harper hasn’t even faced Soto. But Schwarber’s 0-2 against him and 0-6 with three strikeouts versus Raley. [Freddie] Freeman is a combined 2-12 versus Raley and Soto. Small samples, but consider who the Mets have to go through to get to [get to the World Series].”
- Gregory Soto contract: One year, $1.8 million
That is huge for the Mets to be able to throw two impactful lefties at the Dodgers and Phillies’ top hitters in key late-inning moments. However, Sherman also noted that while left-handed hitters have a .138 average against Soto this season, his high walk rate can make his outings an adventure.
“I had an executive the other day who had him on his team say to me, ‘He’s the most likely guy to throw a shutout inning by hitting one, walking two, and striking out three.’ It’s a bit of a tightrope walk with him. But the stuff is real,” Sherman said
