Just Mets

With Bobby Parnell in his first season back from Tommy John surgery and Jenrry Mejia ineligible to pitch in the postseason if the team gets that far, the Mets could use another arm in that bullpen.

This past weekend, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman reported that the Mets were focusing their efforts on acquiring a set-up man, and now it appears that they’ve done that.

On Monday, that the Mets have traded for relief pitcher Tyler Clippard and $1M from Oakland (first reported by Jon Heyman) in exchange for minor league pitcher Casey Meisner, the team announced Monday evening.

Meisner was the 15th best prospect in the Mets system, according to MLB.com.

Clippard, who acted as the A’s closer this season, is having a very good season, posting a 2.79 ERA with 17 saves this season in Oakland. While his FIP is up (3.89), Clippard has always out-pitched his FIP in his career–he has a 2.87 ERA with a 3.66 FIP in nine major league seasons. His WHIP (1.190) is higher so far this season than any past season for him as hitters haven’t swung and missed as his fastball as often in the past, but he’s still got a tremendous change-up and he won’t be asked to close games for this team.

Another benefit to adding Clippard is how he’s simply dominated left-handed hitters, as they’re just 7-for-70 (.100) at the plate against him this season. While he won’t be thrust into a lefty-specialist kind of role–he projects to be the primary set-up man–Clippard’s ability to get left-handed hitters out will prove valuable to this team, who are without a lefty-speciliast until Jerry Blevins returns from a fractured forearm. He may not be as stingy against right-handers this season, but their .247 batting average against him isn’t terrible, either.

This really is a terrific deal for the Mets as they didn’t give up any of their key minor leaguers for him and they’ve simultaneously deepened and strengthened their bullpen while hurting the division-rival Nationals, as they were reportedly interested in acquiring Clippard as well.

This move, coupled with the acquisition of Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson and the fact that they’re still reportedly looking to add another outfielder by the trade deadline signifies that this team is, finally, going for it. The Mets have a real shot to make the postseason and perhaps even win this division in 2015 as they sit just two games behind the Nationals for first place–despite all of their issues both offensively and health-wise.

With Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Jon Niese all expected to be pitching in the starting rotation down the stretch this season and Jerry Blevins and Eric Goeddel returning to a bullpen that has Bobby Parnell, Jenrry Mejia, Jeurys Familia and now Tyler Clippard at the back end of it, this team now has the ability to shut down the opposition at any and every opportunity–something that is extremely valuable come October.

Clippard, 30, is a free agent at the end of the season and is owed roughly $3.1M for the remainder of the year with the A’s paying $1M of that. In order to make room for Clippard on the 40-man roster, the Mets moved Eric Goeddel to the 60-day disabled list. No active roster move has been announced yet.