Four pitchers for the Mets to target at the MLB trade deadline

The 2023 MLB season is a third of the way completed, and it's evident that the New York Mets, who are 27-27 so far, are in dire need of pitching.

New York has a third-worst ERA by a National League team this season (4.78) and has allowed 75 home runs, the fourth-most in the majors. The starter pitching's instability has strained a thin bullpen that entered the year without star closer Edwin Díaz. 

GM Billy Eppler doesn't have a great track record signing pitchers, dating back to his time with the Los Angeles Angels. However, he has no choice but to resolve New York's issue at the trade deadline. Here are four arms that he should consider targeting: 

Starting pitching 

Eduardo Rodríguez, Detroit Tigers

Rodríguez could be the trade deadline acquisition that changes the course of a playoff series with how he's pitched this season. He has the fourth-lowest ERA among qualified starters (2.13) and his 2.5 bWAR is the third-best for a pitcher in MLB.

Despite his stellar production, Rodríguez wouldn't cost much at the deadline if Detroit trades him because he has an opt-out in his five-year, $77 million contract after the season.

As the Mets lack a left-hander in the rotation, Rodríguez is an even more obvious target to inquire about. Once regarded as a high-end depth piece, David Peterson has had a difficult season and now finds himself back in Triple-A. New York hopes free-agent signing José Quintana, on track for a July return from rib surgery, can provide a few quality starts, but there's no telling how effective he'll be. 

The Mets saw firsthand what Rodríguez has to offer when he struck out nine over eight innings in a 2-0 Tigers win on May 4. Unless Eppler is incompetent, Detroit president of baseball operations Scott Harris should be one of his first phone calls at the trade deadline. 

Alex Cobb, San Francisco Giants

The Giants are still floating around .500 (28-26), so it's hard to say if they'll be selling come Aug. 1. Nevertheless, the 35-year-old Cobb, enjoying a strong season, would likely be one of the first players moved. In 11 starts this season, Cobb has posted a 3.05 ERA and has recorded 59 strikeouts across 62 innings pitched. 

Cobb could help alleviate some of the Mets' home run dilemma; his six home runs allowed are the ninth-fewest by a starter with at least 60 innings pitched this season. 

Bullpen

Scott Barlow, Kansas City Royals

It appears 2023 will be another season that the Royals sell at the deadline since they're once again at the bottom of the American League Central standings (17-38). Their most valuable trade asset could be Barlow, who has quickly turned his season around. The 30-year-old has saved six games this season and owns a 3.86 ERA along with an impressive 1.19 WHIP.

Barlow has done a phenomenal job of limiting batters to weak contact, which has led to him putting together one of the better Baseball Savant pages. He's in the 93rd percentile in Hard Hit and strikeout percentage, 95th in expected batting average and 99th in average fastball velocity. 

Kansas City will have plenty of offers rolling in for their relievers; perhaps Eppler can swing a deal for a Barlow-Aroldis Chapman package to add a lefty to the bullpen.

Liam Hendriks, Chicago White Sox

After being deemed cancer-free last month following a battle with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Hendriks made his first appearance of the season on Monday. Hendriks threw 27 pitches, giving up two earned runs, but did touch 96 mph on his fastball, which was well above his average velocity in his Triple-A rehab starts. 

With a couple more outings to get back into rhythm, Hendriks should return to form. The Australian has saved 114 games since 2019, earning him three All-Star nods in that time.

This season marks the final guaranteed year of Hendriks' three-year, $54M deal with the White Sox. It would make sense to find a buyer for him with the team sitting 12 games under .500. Chicago could even receive a decent return for him, as he has a $15M club option and a $15M buyout for 2024.