The MLB trade deadline has come and gone, leaving the Mets with one of the most impressive hauls in all of baseball. David Stearns redefined the meaning of “going all in,” making several big-time moves to vastly improve this team, while still keeping his star-studded prospect core intact.<\/p>\n
The opposite can be said about the San Diego Padres, who unloaded their entire farm system to round out their roster, making them one of the most dangerous teams on paper. But this isn\u2019t about San Diego or anyone else. Let’s go through and grade every move the Mets made at the 2025 MLB trade deadline.<\/p>\n
Mets receive:<\/strong> Orioles receive:<\/strong> Trading for Gregory Soto was a perfect fit. He\u2019s the exact opposite of Brooks Raley<\/a>\u2014another lefty, but with a completely different style. At 30 years old, Soto joins his fourth team and leaves behind a quiet season in Baltimore. The Mets didn\u2019t bring him in to be an All-Star again\u2014they brought him in to give them a real edge in the sixth and seventh innings.<\/p>\n His Mets career has already been a literal 50\/50\u2014two appearances, 1 2\/3 innings, no earned runs\u2026 but also surrendering a walk-off single to Elias D\u00edaz<\/a> on Monday.<\/p>\n Soto\u2019s 3.78 ERA this year is his best since his Detroit Tigers days, and his value is clear: he’s insurance against the wave of elite lefty bats the Mets could face in October\u2014guys like Schwarber and Ohtani. The cost? Barely anything.<\/p>\n Cameron Foster is already 26 and only now showing signs of life in Double-A before getting rocked in two Triple-A outings. Wellington Aracena is the more notable piece\u2014he hits triple digits and posted a 2.38 ERA with a 33.5% K rate over 64.1 IP in Single-A this season, even winning FSL Pitcher of the Month in June.<\/p>\n But at the end of the day, the Mets filled a real need with minimal sacrifice. Soto isn\u2019t a game-changer, but he\u2019s someone you absolutely want in your bullpen come October.<\/p>\n Mets receive:<\/strong> Giants receive:<\/strong> A lot of people think the Mets lost this trade. I\u2019m here to tell you they didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n As stated in a previous piece<\/a>, these were prospects the Mets weren\u2019t planning around. That made them expendable\u2014and Rogers is more than worth it. He gets a B+ here solely because he\u2019s a rental. But for the next two months, he gives the Mets exactly what they needed: a proven, playoff-tested arm in the 7th and 8th innings.<\/p>\n Rogers has been one of the most reliable relievers in baseball over the last five seasons, with sub-3.05 ERAs in four of them. In 2025? Even better\u2014a 1.80 ERA in 53 appearances and one of the league\u2019s best K\/BB ratios (9.5).<\/p>\n The San Francisco Giants received a solid haul. Drew Gilbert is the biggest name in the deal. He\u2019s good enough to be in the majors right now, potentially, but has yet to crack the Mets’ 40-man roster. If he had stayed in Triple-A, he would’ve been exposed to the Rule 5 Draft. The Mets weren\u2019t ready to give him a real look in center field alongside Tyrone Taylor<\/a> and Jeff McNeil<\/a>, so moving him made sense.<\/p>\n Blade Tidwell already debuted in May, allowing six runs in 3 2\/3 innings against the Cardinals. He threw 15 big league innings overall, with a 9.00 ERA and just 10 strikeouts. With guys like Jonah Tong<\/a>, Nolan McLean<\/a>, and Brandon Sproat<\/a> ahead of him, Tidwell\u2019s future in the Mets\u2019 rotation was fading. And Jos\u00e9 Butt\u00f3\u2014he gave the Mets a great stretch in 2024, but his value had peaked.<\/p>\n Could the Mets re-sign Rogers this offseason? Absolutely. And if they do, this deal looks even better, putting to bed any flashbacks of the 2021 PCA trade.<\/p>\n Mets receive:<\/strong> Cardinals receive:<\/strong> One of the most significant moves of the entire deadline. The Mets landed an All-Star closer\u2014except they didn\u2019t get him to close<\/em>. They got him to set up<\/em> Edwin D\u00edaz<\/a>. And just like that, New York might have built the best 1-2-3 punch in baseball: Rogers in the 7th, Helsley in the 8th, D\u00edaz in the 9th.<\/p>\n Helsley is in the middle of a \u201cdown year\u201d by his standards, with a 3.00 ERA over 36 innings\u2014but he\u2019s also got 21 saves, second-most of his career. This move gives manager Carlos Mendoza<\/a> flexibility in high-leverage spots and turns this bullpen into a problem for opposing lineups.<\/p>\n The St. Louis Cardinals get a decent return here. Jesus Baez is the best of the bunch. He was the Mets\u2019 No. 7 prospect and a player the organization really liked, but his 2025 campaign with Brooklyn was underwhelming, batting just .242. The two pitchers involved\u2014Nate Dohm and Frank Elissalt\u2014are decent arms with upside, but neither one hurts the Mets’ farm all that much.<\/p>\n The only concern is that Helsley becomes a free agent at the end of the season, making him another short-term rental. That means Stearns and the front office will have some decisions to make this winter, especially with Edwin D\u00edaz possibly opting out, and Helsley potentially commanding a big deal of his own.<\/p>\n Mets receive:<\/strong> Orioles receive:<\/strong>
RP Gregory Soto<\/a><\/p>\n
RHP Wellington Aracena<\/a> (No. 19 prospect)
RHP Cameron Foster<\/a><\/p>\nRP Tyler Rogers \u2014 B+<\/strong><\/h3>\n
RP Tyler Rogers<\/a><\/p>\n
CF Drew Gilbert<\/a> (No. 12 prospect)
SP Blade Tidwell<\/a> (No. 10 prospect)
RP Jos\u00e9 Butt\u00f3<\/a><\/p>\nCP Ryan Helsley \u2014 A-<\/strong><\/h3>\n
CP Ryan Helsley<\/a><\/p>\n
SS\/3B Jesus Baez<\/a> (No. 7 prospect)
RHP Nate Dohm<\/a> (No. 14 prospect)
RHP Frank Elissalt<\/a><\/p>\nCF Cedric Mullins<\/a> \u2014 A<\/strong><\/h3>\n
CF Cedric Mullins<\/a><\/p>\n
RHP Raimon Gomez<\/a> (No. 30 prospect)
RHP Chandler Marsh<\/a>
RHP Anthony Nunez<\/a> (No. 14 prospect)<\/p>\n