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Trade grades: How did the Mets, Yankees, Padres, and A’s do on Sunday?

By Kevin Henry

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 26: Miguel Castro #50 of the New York Mets throws a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers against at American Family Field on September 26, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Brewers defeated the Mets 8-4. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 26: Miguel Castro #50 of the New York Mets throws a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers against at American Family Field on September 26, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Brewers defeated the Mets 8-4. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) /
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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 16: Miguel Castro #50 of the New York Mets pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the bottom of the fifth inning at Oracle Park on August 16, 2021 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 16: Miguel Castro #50 of the New York Mets pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the bottom of the fifth inning at Oracle Park on August 16, 2021 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Handing out the grades for the New York Mets and New York Yankees as they trade relief pitchers

Why the New York Mets get a C for the trade

The 30-year-old Joely Rodríguez has a career 3.87 FIP, 4.61 ERA, and 1.547 WHIP last season splitting time between the Texas Rangers and Yankees (he was acquired as part of the Joey Gallo trade). With New York, his numbers improved (2.84 ERA, 3.01 FIP, and 1.421 WHIP) but that was also in just 19.0 innings covering 21 games.

For the Mets, the question becomes which Rodríguez will they see this season? He’s still a pitcher who gave up 10.3 hits per nine innings and walked 3.5 batters last season, so there seems to be risk there as he has shown throughout his four-year career that batters can reach base against him.

He also appeared in a career-high 52 games last season (doubling his previous high of 26), so he has also proven to be durable. But can he trusted? There’s where perhaps an incomplete grade is even better than a C as Rodríguez will have to earn the trust of manager Buck Showalter early and often.

Why the New York Yankees get a B for the trade

Granted, it’s not much higher than the grade received by the Mets, but there is more upside on paper with Castro, especially knowing he’s 27 and has posted a 3.52 ERA, 4.34 FIP, and 1.387 WHIP in 79 games covering 79.1 innings over the last two seasons with the Mets. Last season’s 69 appearances and 70.1 innings posted by Castro were both highs for any Mets reliever.

Opponents hit just .189 against him last season and his 6.1 hits per nine innings was a career-low. Those are good numbers for the Yankees, who will likely use him as a late-inning reliever in the same way the Mets did primarily last season. From innings seven through nine last year, Castro posted a 2.61 ERA and opposing batters hit just .184 against him.

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After walking eight in 9.0 innings with the Mets in 2020, Castro reduced his walks per innings from 8.0 to 5.5 last season. Still, the number is higher than his career mark of 4.8 so that is something to keep an eye on as the 2022 campaign rolls along.

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