The New York Mets keep adding to their pitching staff. Having already signed starters Justin Verlander and José Quintana to reinforce the rotation in free agency, the Mets obtained left-handed reliever Brooks Raley from the Tampa Bay Rays in a trade on Wednesday afternoon. The Mets are sending minor-league lefty Keyshawn Askew to Tampa Bay. Both teams announced the deal.
Raley, 34 years old, signed a two-year pact worth $10 million with Tampa Bay last winter. The deal includes a club option for the 2024 season worth $6.5 million (or a $1.25 million buyout). He went on to make 60 appearances with the Rays, amassing a 2.68 ERA (136 ERA+) and a 4.07 strikeout-to-ratio. That last mark was fueled by striking out 10 batters per nine innings.
Brooks Raley TB • RP • #30 ERA 2.68 WHIP .97 IP 53.2 BB 15 K 61 View Profile
Prior to joining the Rays, Raley had made appearances in the majors with the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, and Cincinnati Reds. For his career, he’s sporting a 4.64 ERA (88 ERA+) and a 3.27 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 153 games (five of which were starts).
Askew, who will celebrate his 23rd birthday in a matter of weeks, was the Mets’ 10th-round pick in the 2021 draft. He appeared in 18 games across two levels last season, accumulating a 2.44 ERA and a 3.29 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Askew was mentioned in July as part of Eric Longenhagen’s evaluation of the Mets farm system on FanGraphs. “Askew, a great name for a low-slot guy, needs to be promoted,” he wrote. “He’s dominating Low-A hitters worse than those he faced at Clemson with a low-90s two-seamer/slider combo.”