The Oakland Athletics announced that they’ve traded right-handed reliever Tyler Clippard to the New York Mets in exchange for right-handed minor league pitcher Casey Meisner. The move comes only a day after rumors surfaced that Clippard was expected to be moved sometime this week.
Athletics trade RHP Tyler Clippard to Mets for minor leaguer Casey Meisner
The acquisition of Clippard should help fortify the bullpen as the Mets make a postseason run in 2015.
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The Mets already have a solid bullpen with a collective 2.86 ERA, sixth-best in MLB. Acquiring Clippard will only solidify their chances at a postseason run, which currently stands at 48.4 percent according to Baseball Prospectus. Currently, the Mets sit in second place in the National League East, two games behind the Washington Nationals.
Clippard has had issues with his control this year, leading to 21 walks in just 38⅔ innings of work. However, he’s also struck out 38 batters in that time, and he has a career 2.87 ERA over nine seasons. His walks seem to be the primary concern this year, as his rate of 4.9 per nine innings is nearly as high as his 5.8 hits per nine. Overall, Clippard has posted a 2.79 ERA in 37 games for Oakland, recording 17 saves in 21 chances.
This is the second major move the Mets have made as the deadline approaches. New York previously acquired Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson from the Braves on Saturday, sending two minor leaguers to Atlanta in return. The Mets' farm system is rated the fifth-best in the majors, according to Baseball America, which has enabled the organization to make solid deals without giving up too much of their future.
As for the A’s, they receive Meisner, a 20-year-old right-hander, who has posted a 2.35 ERA in 18 starts between Single-A and Advanced-A in 2015. He doesn’t walk many batters, and although his strikeouts went down after his promotion (7.8 per nine innings, down to 5.9), he is also one of the younger pitchers in his league and could have a big future, according to SB Nation’s Minor League Ball.
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