Mets Helped Define MLB Postseason With Their Deadline Deals

When the New York Mets cleaned house at the trade deadline they were nowhere near contention, but that didn’t stop them from playing a big role in postseason baseball. 

Johnny Flores Jr. of The Athletic did a review ranking the deals at the deadline, and as it turns out the Mets had their fingerprints all over the playoffs and the World Series as he slotted the most impactful trades. 

Freddey Peralta, Mets to Tampa Bay Rays (1)

Rays give up: OF Aidan Smith, INF Émilien Pitre, RHP Gary Gill Hill

Yup, this is the big one, to the point where it even jumped the deal that brought Detroit Tigers starter Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Peralta was ALCS MVP, but even before that he posted a 0.79 ERA in his final six games to help Tampa Bay fend off the Yankees for the AL East titlle. 

October marked the reappearance of “Fastball Freddy.” He allowed  one run in his lone ALDS start, then just one more over three games in the ALCS. Peralta got tagged for five runs in his one World Series start, but he wasn’t the reason the Rays lost, and overall the Mets handed the Rays who easily became the best player moved at the deadline. 

Clay Holmes, Mets to Chicago Cubs (13)

Cubs give up: INF Jefferson Rojas

Flores described Holmes as “putrid” in September, which is all too accurate given his  8.24 ERA, and while Flores called Holmes’ exclusion from the postseason against a righty-heavy Padres lineup “baffling,” is this really all that surprising? 

Huascar Brazoban, Mets to Chicago White Sox (18)

White Sox give up: RHP Gabe Davis and Zach Franklin

Final verdict: Brazoban’s success was integrally tied to his time with the Mets, which made him a unanimous call for the reliever most likley to blowup -- and he did. His strikeout rate cratered from 23.7 percent with the Mets to 11.7 percent with the White Sox, which was the key to his success in New York and lack thereof in Chicago. The White Sox still have team control over him through 2029, but this doesn’t look all that relevant right now. 

Brooks Raley, Mets to Philadelphia Phillies (27)

Phillies give up: RHP Luke Gabrysh, OF John Spikerman

Final verdict: This deal was a big miss for the Phillies, who wound up being left out of the postseason when their bullpen blew up. Raley was reliable in New York but a home run machine in Philly, and his 7.94 ERA was a big reason why the Phillies got to make their vacation plans early.