Mets get: RHR Ryne Stanek
Mariners get: OF Rhylan Thomas
Andy McCullough: The Mets’ bullpen has been leaking oil for weeks. Stanek can provide some stability. He tends to miss bats, although his propensity for walks and vulnerability to home runs make him … like a lot of relievers. He pitched a decent amount in the postseason during his time with the Astros, so a postseason race in Flushing is unlikely to faze him. His departure will save Seattle some money: He’s owed $1.3 million. For the Mariners, that makes a difference. For Steve Cohen’s Mets? Not so much.
The Mets are acquiring reliever Ryne Stanek from the Mariners for minor-league outfielder Rhylan Thomas, league source confirms. @martinonyc on it first.
— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) July 26, 2024
On the same day Seattle acquired Yimi Garcia, they felt compelled to part with Stanek. Thomas is a fringe top-30 prospect for the Mets with solid bat-to-ball skills. He has hit only eight home runs in his professional career, which began in 2022.
Mets: B
Mariners: C
Stephen J. Nesbitt: Perhaps, at one point or another, you’ve asked yourself, “How significant must a trade be for The Athletic’s band of trade graders to decide not to grade it?” Well, let me tell ya, the bar is basically set at “Ryne Stanek to the Mets.” We all know about this type of trade. It’s … fine. It happened. But it almost never matters.
Stanek doesn’t stink. Not at all! He had some really spectacular stretches in Houston earlier in his career. He has pitched in big games. He stands out in a crowd. His peripherals are all right, even though an awful stretch has sunk his ERA to 4.38.
But we know how these trades go. One side — the Mariners — has already added and now has a reliever it won’t use much with a salary they’d rather not pay in full. The other side — the Mets — wants to shore up its bullpen and is willing to pay a little money to do so. These types of trades don’t shift playoff odds even a smidge. They are, in the grand scheme of things, almost all inconsequential. This one’s just good enough to get graded. There can be no other grade to give than a B.
As in, “Better than nothing.”
But also, “Better not be all they do.”
The Mariners have done plenty else already. The Mets? We’ll see.
Mets: B
Mariners: B
(Photo of Ryne Stanek: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
