The Athletics Should Target This New York Southpaw
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We're just about a month out from baseball's trade deadline, and with the Athletics hovering right around the Wild Card, they could look to add some pieces to bolster their staff to land them a postseason spot.
The biggest need for the A's this summer is bullpen help. Their rotation has taken many hits, including their ace, Luis Severino, who was placed on the IL after his start against the Yankees. He missed the whole month of June.
How will the Athletics' Trade Deadline outlook change following the season-ending injury to Brent Rooker? pic.twitter.com/mTzfG31f9J
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 2, 2026
Luckily, the A's saw the return of Aaron Civale, and while he was shaky in his first start back, there is hope that he can once again help the A's rotation while also bringing his veteran presence to the table.
If the A's decide to go out and be buyers in the weak American League this season, the New York Mets might have just the guy they could use.
Athletics Should Eye Mets' Southpaw Brooks Raley
The Mets have fallen way out of contention with a disappointing start to their 2026 season. This means, in all likelihood, they will be sellers.
Because of their market, they will obviously hold onto most of their superstars. However, we have discussed their ace, Freddy Peralta, as another good option for the A's to improve their weak rotation.
Left-hander Brooks Raley should draw trade interest this summer, as he currently holds a 2.32 ERA in 31 innings for the Mets this season. Any team needing a strong southpaw in their bullpen should be interested, including the A's.
SNY's Chelsea Janes spoke with MLB executives about which Mets are likely to be traded and what the return could be
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) July 2, 2026
Here's what she uncovered on each player...
VERY LIKELY TO GO
🔸 Brooks Raley: Raley’s name comes up in almost every conversation about the Mets’ trade deadline.… pic.twitter.com/qUVIProOPc
We have discussed Aroldis Chapman as a possible fit for the A's, and fans are reluctant to trade younger players for the 38-year-old southpaw. However, just like Chapman, Raley is also a 38-year-old southpaw.
Raley is set to become a free agent after this season, so the veteran left-hander shouldn't command a super hefty price for the A's. The Mets will be looking to squeeze any value they can get out of him, and the A's will have to take advantage of that.
The Current A's Bullpen
The A's bullpen right now features three left-handers, assuming Jose Suarez returns from the paternity list for the Marlins series on Friday. The other lefty southpaw is recently promoted Hogan Harris. Matt Krook was recently DFA'd by the organization.
Because Mark Kotsay has shown his love for the lefty-lefty matchups over the course of his time as the A's skipper, landing a strong left-hander to the mix is going to help the team win more ballgames.
Elvis Alvarado gets the K for his first career save 🤩 pic.twitter.com/NSUrSDikq0
— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) June 11, 2026
Even the A's right-handers in their bullpen haven't been too good. Mark Leiter Jr., who was just heating up, was placed on the Injured List. Scott Barlow was DFA'd. Elvis Alvarado seemed like he was going to be a baller for the bullpen, and he's been inconsistent as well.
It looks like this A's bullpen needs more than one strong arm to help them become contenders, but landing the talents of a great southpaw for a low price could be really attractive to them as they look to push towards October baseball for the first time since 2020.
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Dylan Quinn grew up playing baseball, and also enjoyed watching and writing about his favorite team, the A’s. Being a diehard A’s fan from New Jersey is certainly not common, but he loves the team and all of the current and former players so much. Quinn currently attends school at Penn State Scranton where he plays baseball.
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