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MLB Trade Deadline: New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers Talking Duo Of Relievers

By Mark Suleymanov
Published on: 04:23 PST, Jul 17, 2016

As the Mets search for bullpen reinforcements, the club has discussed relievers Will Smith and Jeremy Jeffress with the Milwaukee Brewers, according to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News.

The Brewers have recently sent scouts to monitor some of the Mets’ lower-level prospects, Ackert adds. The Boston Red Sox have also been scouting the Brewers’ duo of dominating relievers.

Outside of closer Jeurys Familia, who has converted all 32 of his league-leading save opportunities, and setup man Addison Reed, the Mets’ relief options have been shaky at best this season.

Smith, 27, has been solid for the Brewers in 19 games this season, pitching to a 2.12 ERA in 17 innings. In Spring Training, Smith tore a ligament in his knee, causing him to miss several months of action. As he told the Associated Press following the injury that following a minor league game, he went to take off his shoe, and while standing on one foot, he lost his balance and twisted his knee.

“I pulled hard [on the shoe] and it stayed on,” Smith said. “My knee just went up and popped. Everyone tells you there is nothing you can do about it, but you still feel like you are letting people down.”

After a pair of disappointing seasons with the Kansas City Royals, Smith was traded to Milwaukee in exchange for outfielder Nori Aoki. From 2013-14, Smith appeared in 154 games with the Brewers, with an 8-5 record and a 3.20 ERA in 129 innings.

Jeffress, 28, has bounced around the league with the Brewers, Royals, and Toronto Blue Jays since 2010. He was a part of the deal that brought Zack Greinke and Yuniesky Betancourt to the Brewers as he, along with Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, and Jake Odorizzi, went to the Royals.

This season, the South Boston, Virginia, native has settled in as a solid late-inning relief option. In 40 games, Jeffress sports a 2.35 ERA with 23 saves in 38-and-one-third innings. Jeffress is arbitration-eligible next season and will not hit free agency until 2020 at the earliest, meaning that he comes with three years of team control.

“I haven’t really thought that much about it,” Jeffress told the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel about the possibility of being traded this season. “I’ve been traded already. I didn’t think I’d be leaving Milwaukee the first time. It’s what they need and what they want. All we can do is just go out and play every day.”

For the Mets, offseason acquisition Antonio Bastardo (4.86 ERA in 37 innings) has been mostly ineffective in the first year of a two-year pact he signed this offseason. Hansel Robles (3-3, 2.89 ERA) has been generally solid but has a long history of being wild at times. Left-hander Jerry Blevins (3-1, 2.08 ERA) has been effective against left-handed hitters, which creates the need for an effective right-hander in the bullpen.

Former Brewers closer Jim Henderson (1-2, 4.26 ERA) started the season strong, but the longball (2.4 HR/9) has been an issue for him. Per ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin, Henderson is expected to rejoin the club in Chicago when the Mets begin a crucial series with the Cubs on Monday. In seven minor league contests across two levels on his rehab assignment, Henderson owns a 0-1 record with a 10.80 ERA.

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson was aggressive at last year’s trade deadline, acquiring Yoenis Cespedes, Tyler Clippard, Kelly Johnson, Juan Uribe, and Reed. This year, he’s unsure how aggressive — despite the interest in relievers — the team will be.

“Will we be as aggressive? I don’t know the answer to that at this point. Are we able to be as aggressive? I still think we have the prospects, if necessary, in our system to move,” Alderson said to ESPN. “And from a financial standpoint I also think we have the means necessary. We’ll just have to see what happens late in July.”

[Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images]

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