Mets get called out for 'belly flop' trade deadline move by ESPN

One of the New York Mets' trade deadline moves has not aged well, and they're getting put on blast for it.

Jul 13, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a New York Mets hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

In the days and weeks leading up to the 2025 MLB trade deadline, it was clear that the New York Mets' top priority was going to be bolstering their bullpen.

Edwin Diaz has continued to be one of baseball's best closers to this point in the 2025 campaign (he currently has a 1.87 ERA, 25 saves, and a whopping 81 strikeouts in 53 innings pitched this season). But New York didn't have any arms that could be depended upon to bridge the gap between their starting rotation, which has struggled to pitch late into games aside from rookie sensation Nolan McLean.

Read more: Mets manager gets blunt about potential Kodai Senga minor league demotion

Therefore, the Mets' front office decided to make a major splash at the deadline by trading for former St. Louis Cardinals closer, two-time All-Star, and 2024 NL Reliever of the Year Ryan Helsley (while also trading for relievers Gregory Soto and Tyler Rogers).

Helsley had allowed a total of 12 earned runs in 36 innings pitched for the Cardinals before getting traded, which made for a 3.00 ERA. Since joining the Mets, he has given up 14 earned runs in 11 innings pitched (a 11.45 ERA), including the three earned runs he gave up against the Detroit Tigers in 0.2 innings pitched on September 3.

Ryan Helsley has allowed 14 ER in 11 IP as a Met (11.45 ERA)

He allowed 12 ER in 36 IP as a Cardinal (3.00 ERA) pic.twitter.com/DUFcPuFhR0

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) September 3, 2025

ESPN Roasts Mets For Ryan Helsley Trade

Nobody could have predicted that Helsley would be this bad as a member of the Mets. But that didn't keep ESPN's Bradford Doolittle from putting them on blast about it in a September 3 article that judged each MLB team's trade deadline deals a month later.

"The Mets enter September with one of baseball's hottest offenses. They also have one of MLB's coldest pitching staffs. Thus, we've seen many games like New York's 10-8 win over Detroit on Labor Day. The Mets got five quality starts in August. That isn't great, but if the bullpen is rolling ... well, it's not. The relievers went 2-for-7 in save opportunities," Doolittle wrote.

"Deadline pickups Gregory Soto and Tyler Rogers have been fine, but the splash was supposed to come from Ryan Helsley, whose August ERA (9.31) was more like a belly flop. There's a month to get this right before the playoffs," he added.

Aug 14, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Ryan Helsley (56) reacts as he walks off the field after the top of the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Given how great Helsley has been for essentially his entire MLB career, there's still an expectation that he's going to turn things around at some point.

However, the Mets' patience is beginning to wear thin. And if Helsley can't right the ship at some point soon, he's going to have to get left out of the bullpen's plans.