The San Francisco Giants were reportedly willing to listen to offers for their relief pitching. The first domino fell on Wednesday afternoon.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Giants traded reliever Tyler Rogers to the Mets. In exchange, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the Mets sent pitchers Jose Butto and Blade Tidwell, along with outfield prospect Drew Gilbert, to San Francisco.
Rogers has been a durable reliever throughout his career, leading the league in appearances three times. He has pitched in a major league-high 53 games this season, posting a 1.80 ERA and a 0.860 WHiP over 50 innings, striking out 38 batters with four walks. Rogers will instantly slot into the late-inning mix, strengthening the Mets’ bridge to closer Edwin Diaz.
New York paid a steep price for two to three months of Rogers. Tidwell, the Mets’ 10th-best prospect per MLB.com, has a five pitch mix highlighted by a plus slider and a fastball that has been clocked as high as 98 mph. He has struggled in his brief time in the majors this season, posting a 9.00 ERA and a 2.200 WHiP over 15 innings, striking out 10 batters with 10 walks. However, Tidwell had a strong showing in Triple-A, posting a respectable 4.10 ERA and a 1.291 WHiP over 79 innings in Syracuse, striking out 87 batters with 32 walks.
Gilbert, the Mets’ 12th ranked prospect, has battled injuries throughout his career. A consensus top 100 prospect ahead of the 2024 season, Gilbert’s stock has fallen as his production cratered last season as injuries piled up. He is still regarded as having a strong command of the strike zone with solid contact and speed skills, but is a question mark due to his struggles to stay healthy.
Butto has the most major league experience of any of the trio heading to San Francisco. After shuttling between the rotation and bullpen in 2024, he had settled in as a solid middle reliever for the Mets. This season, Butto has posted a 3.64 ERA and a 1.383 WHiP in 47 innings, striking out 41 batters with 22 walks.
Butto and Tidwell should fare well with the Giants as Oracle Park is an extreme pitcher’s park. Gilbert now has a path to the majors as outfielder Juan Soto had blocked his ascension in the Mets system. This trade may be one where the Giants receive several key pieces for a future contending team.
