The Mets completed a deadline day trade with the Oakland Athletics to acquire right-handed starting pitcher Paul Blackburn, in exchange for right-hander Kade Morris.
Similar to the other recent trades the Mets have made, they are holding on to the major prospects at the top of the farm system. That is important for a team that is fighting for a Wild Card spot this season, but also looking to build a team that will contend over the long-term.
What Type of Player are the Mets Getting
Blackburn was arguably the top starter on the current Athletics roster. The 2022 All-Star has spent his entire career (in his eighth season) with the A’s. His career record is 21-26, with a 4.83 ERA.
So far in 2024, Blackburn has nine starts and is carrying a 4-2 record with a 4.41 ERA. He has pitched 51 innings, with 38 strikeouts and 14 walks. He has recently returned from a foot injury that had him sidelined since May. In his first start since returning, on July 26th, Blackburn threw 72 pitches across five innings. He gave up four runs on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
In his All-Star season of 2022, Blackburn pitched to a 7-6 record with a 4.28 ERA across 21 starts. He struck out 89 and walked 30 in 111.1 innings.
Through his career, Blackburn has only made 20 or more starts in a season twice (2022 and 2023). He has yet to throw a complete game in his MLB tenure.
Where Does Blackburn Fit with the Mets?
The Mets clearly needed reinforcements in both the bullpen and starting rotation. Previous trades for Phil Maton and Ryne Stanek helped the bullpen, as did the next Mets trade after Blackburn, reliever Tyler Zuber. The return of Kodai Senga was a potential solve for the rotation, but his first start back ended after 5.1 innings with a calf strain that will keep him out for the rest of the regular season.
Blackburn will slot into the rotation for the rest of the season and into next year, assuming he stays healthy. Prior to this deal, the definites in the rotation included Luis Severino, Jose Quintana, and Sean Manaea. The other spots in the rotation were recently filled by the likes of David Peterson, and Tylor Megill. Blackburn takes one of the question marks off the table, leaving the fifth spot in the rotation to be handled by Peterson, Megill, or someone else.
This trade also allows the Mets to leave Jose Butto in the bullpen. A starter heading into this year, Butto moved to the bullpen to accelerate his return to the big league team. He has excelled there, and gives manager Carlos Mendoza a solid relief arm that can also give some length with his history as a starter.
Blackburn’s salary this year is a modest $3.45 million. Looking ahead past this season, he is under team control for next season, which is his last arbitration-eligible year. Regarding the other rotation potentials, only Senga, Peterson, and Megill are under team control past this season. Christian Scott is as well, but is a question mark as he is dealing with a UCL strain that could easily progress to Tommy John surgery.
By all accounts, Blackburn should be a solid add to the Mets clubhouse, too. This is not a small detail as David Stearns and Steve Cohen look to build a winner that contends each and every year.
What the Mets Gave Up
Morris is a High-A pitcher who was a third-round pick of the Mets in 2023, out of Nevada. He was pitching for the Brooklyn Cyclones.
At Brooklyn, Morris has appeared in 11 games (10 starts). His record is 4-3 with a 3.43 ERA. He has struck out 57 and walked 19 in 57.2 innings.
According to MLB.com, Stuart was the Mets 25th ranked prospect and was expected to make his big league debut at the earliest in 2026.
Morris’s fastball usually sits in the low 90’s but occasionally hits the mid-90’s. He has shown the propensity to throw strikes but still needs to hone the other pitches in his arsenal. Morris profiles as a middle to low end of the rotation starter.
Use our promo code : WeLikeSportz for 10% off!
WE LIKE SPORTZ SHOW 
Leave a comment