Mets pad staff with starter Blackburn, ‘pen arm Zuber
Anthony DiComo
NEW YORK — Sensing weakness in their depleted rotation, the Mets dealt for a depth starter about two hours prior to Tuesday’s Trade Deadline, acquiring right-hander Paul Blackburn from the A’s for pitching prospect Kade Morris.
The Mets also acquired reliever Tyler Zuber from the Rays for pitching prospect Paul Gervase.
Blackburn, 30, has made just nine starts this season due to a stress reaction in his right foot, from which he recently recovered. He is 4-2 with a 4.41 ERA and has been markedly consistent the past two seasons, producing a 4.35 ERA over 215 innings from 2022-23 with the A’s. Blackburn throws in the low 90s with his fastball, relying on a six-pitch to keep hitters off-balance.
The right-hander is under team control through 2025, making this more than just a Deadline rental for the Mets. He’s making $3.45 million this season and will be due for a raise in arbitration next year.
The Mets have been seeking starting pitching in earnest since Saturday, when Kodai Senga strained his left calf in his season debut. Senga will almost certainly miss the rest of the regular season, and the Mets don’t have a ton of clarity regarding another rotation member, Christian Scott, who has a sprained UCL in his right elbow.
Currently, the Mets possess little starting depth outside of their starting five of Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, Jose Quintana, David Peterson and Tylor Megill. Blackburn gives them more of a margin for error.
Zuber, 29, began the season with the independent Long Island Ducks before signing with the Rays in May. The right-hander spent most of his time in Tampa Bay’s organization at Triple-A Durham, where he compiled 29 strikeouts and a 2.49 ERA over 18 appearances. He recently earned a promotion to the Majors, allowing one run over his first 3 1/3 innings. Zuber also spent time at the highest level with the Royals from 2020-21.
The price for these two trades was Morris — a pitcher who recently entered MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 Mets prospects list — and Gervase. Morris, 22, was the organization’s third-round Draft pick in 2022. He has 95 strikeouts over 92 1/3 innings at two Class A levels this year, with a 3.51 combined ERA. Gervase, a 6-foot-10 right-hander who was taken in the 12th round in 2022, has a 3.25 ERA over 22 relief appearances at Double-A Binghamton.
