Traded on his birthday, Stanek 'ready to go' for Mets

NEW YORK -- The Mets continued their bullpen fortification before Fridays' 8-4 win over the Braves with another trade addition, acquiring right-hander Ryne Stanek from the Mariners for their 30th-ranked prospect, outfielder Rhylan Thomas. Stanek comes to the team 2 1/2 weeks after the Mets acquired Phil Maton from the Rays.

An eight-year veteran of four teams, Stanek produced a 4.38 ERA over 46 appearances with Seattle, striking out 44 batters over 39 innings, and he's held opposing hitters to a slash line of .230/.314/.375. Stanek is one of the game’s hardest throwers, topping out at 101 mph this season and routinely throwing in the upper 90s. That makes him the polar opposite of Maton, who survives -- and often thrives -- despite a lack of top-end velocity. Stanek also features a slider and splitter, both of which are out pitches for him.

TRADE DETAILS
Mets receive: RHP Ryne Stanek
Mariners receive: OF Rhylan Thomas (Mets' No. 30 prospect)

Stanek will pitch in high-leverage situations for the Mets, including the seventh and eighth innings.

“I felt like I had a pretty good season until the last three games,” Stanek said. “Besides those, I felt like I threw the ball really well -- sandwiched with a weird back spasm thing right before the break. I had to get right. It's all good now and I’m ready to go.”

Stanek entered the Mets' clubhouse for the first time Saturday afternoon. The news of the trade came on his 33rd birthday Friday. Stanek called it the strangest birthday he ever had.

“It was pretty odd. I was not expecting to get traded on my birthday. Such is the life we live here,” Stanek said. “I’m excited to see what [New York] is about. I’ve only been to New York to play against the Mets and Yankees. I’ve only seen a very small area of the city. It will be good to branch out and see the real parts of New York as opposed to where we stay.”

Stanek has plenty of postseason success on his resume as well, with a 2.70 ERA over 23 career October appearances. That included heavy work for the 2022 World Series champion Astros, as well as the ’21 AL pennant winners.

Stanek believes the Mets are just as good. They entered Saturday's action as the National League Wild Card leaders by a half-game over the Braves and Padres.

“Obviously, it’s a super talented team,” Stanek said. “It’s a team that has been playing real good. From everything I’ve heard from guys that I know from here, it’s a good group and the group is playing well. It’s exciting to come in and be a piece of this.”

Stanek is a close friend of Maton. They played together while they were with Houston from 2021-23.

“He’s the man,” said Maton. “Absolute competitor. I’ve seen him do it in two World Series. He’s been in the biggest spots -- a guy who’s been there, done that. Durable. It’s one of my better friends, but honestly, he’s a great guy to have on your team.”

Stanek joins a bullpen that has been decimated by injuries and underperformance. Five of the eight relievers on the Mets’ Opening Day roster are no longer present, including Brooks Raley and Drew Smith, who are done for the season. That has left the Mets to rely heavily on untested pitchers from the Minor Leagues and acquisitions from outside the organization.

Overall, New York entered Saturday's play ranked 17th in the Majors with a 4.05 bullpen ERA.

“He’s pitched in some big games,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of Stanek. “I saw him early in his career with the Rays and then as recently as last year with Houston. He’s got that ability to come in late in games, with playoff experience, big games. It’s a power arm, it’s 97, 98 with a splitter. … I’m glad he’s on my side now.”

Unlike Maton, whom the Mets acquired for cash earlier this month, Stanek cost the team an interesting prospect. Thomas was the club’s 11th-round Draft pick in 2022 and earned an invitation to Spring Training following a breakout 2023 season. This year, Thomas continued to thrive until a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse, where he slashed a more pedestrian .235/.286/.377 over 49 games. Scouts regard him as an excellent hitter with a limited power ceiling.

Whether the Mets are done adding to their bullpen ahead of Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline remains to be seen. There’s still room for improvement with Smith, Raley, Dedniel Nú?ez, Sean Reid-Foley and Reed Garrett all on the injured list, though the latter three pitchers should be back in August. The Mets have also been looking into bench upgrades, per sources.

The team did make one additional move on Friday, trading reliever Cole Sulser to the Rays for cash. New York had designated Sulser for assignment last week amidst a 40-man roster crunch. Later Friday, the team designated left-hander Josh Walker for assignment to clear 40-man space for Stanek.

“He’s got a good arm, throws hard,” said Mets designated hitter J.D. Martínez. “He’s definitely going to help us. So we’re excited to add a piece here.”