Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
One weakness of the Mets in 2022 was their lack of a reliable lefty reliever. The team made a move Wednesday to rectify that for the 2023 season by acquiring left-hander Brooks Raley from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for pitching prospect Keyshawn Askew, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.
Raley, 34, had a career-best season with Tampa last year, pitching in 60 games with a 2.68 ERA and a 136 ERA+ while striking out 61 and walking only 15. Raley was particularly effective against left-handed hitters, holding them to a .155/.200./.282 slash line with 25 strikeouts in 71 at-bats. Raley is under contract for $4.5 million in 2023 and has a $6.5 million team option for the 2024 season.
This is Brooks Raley’s slider. pic.twitter.com/31jaWGzgjL
— ramsey (@jwr082OO2) December 7, 2022
Raley has also been particularly effective at limiting hard-hit balls the last three seasons.
Brooks Raley, MLB percentiles for hard-hit percentage allowed:
2020: 99th
2021: 100th
2022: 98th#LGM https://t.co/OUH1bJUgkL— Mets Analytics (@MetsAnalytics) December 7, 2022
Askew had a 2.44 ERA and a 12.5 K/9 rate in A-Ball last season after being drafted in the 10th round by the Mets out of Clemson in 2021. He was ranked just outside of the Mets Top 30 prospects.
The Mets continue adding to their pitching staff during the Winter Meetings having previously signed starters Justin Verlander and Jose Quintana.
