The New York Mets knew they needed bullpen help at the trade deadline, and they wasted no time getting some. On Friday, David Stearns swung a deal for Baltimore Orioles lefty Gregory Soto, acquiring a high-leverage arm without touching any of the better prospects in New York's system. No, Soto wasn't the best reliever potentially on the market, but he's been rock-solid for the O's so far this year, with the sort of high-octane stuff you want toward the end of games.
And there's reason to believe that Soto might be even more of a steal than his 3.96 ERA so far this season suggests. Every move at this time of year is made not just with the rest of the regular season in mind, but with an eye on October as well. And when the Mets inevitably face off against the best teams in the National League, Soto's track record suggests they're going to feel good about giving him the ball.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Gregory Soto will be one heck of a postseason weapon for the Mets
Throwing triple-digits from the left side, it's no wonder that Soto is particularly brutal on left-handed hitters, holding them to a .547 OPS so far this season. That's critical, when you consider the elite lefty bats the Mets are going to have to go through if they want to break through to their first World Series since 2015.
Any NL hopeful is going to have to contend with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who just happen to have two of the best lefties in the game in Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman at the top of their lineup. If and when New York gets put in that spot, you better believe they're turning to Soto: The 30-year-old has dominated both Ohtani and Freeman over the course of his career, holding them to a combined 1-for-8 with four strikeouts lifetime. (He's held Kyle Schwarber hitless in two at-bats with one punchout, too, just for good measure.)
HOLD ON pic.twitter.com/pVnZyXwD9I
— Jason (@jasonmack099) July 25, 2025
The Mets pitching staff eventually just ran out of steam against the Dodgers buzzsaw in last year's NLCS. New York's revamped rotation (and its ability to stay healthy) will go a long way to determining whether that happens again should the teams face off in the playoffs for the second straight season. But this team also needed more dynamic weapons at the back end of its bullpen, and Soto certainly qualifies. The fact that he won't be cowed by some of the best hitters he's liable to face in the biggest moments is just a cherry on top.