Lucas Duda apparently is not the only Met the Yankees have their eye on.
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Lucas Duda apparently is not the only Met the Yankees have their eye on.
According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, the Yankees have also inquired about trading for relief pitcher Addison Reed.
The 28-year-old right-hander has appeared in 42 games and has 2.47 ERA and 15 saves this season. Reed was slated to be the Mets’ setup man, but a suspension and shoulder injury to Jeurys Familia forced him into the closer’s role.
Reed is set to become a free agent after this season.
“The Mets are getting a lot of interest in Reed from all around, ” Feinsand told WFAN’s Mike Francesa on Tuesday. “And he’s not going to get traded, I don’ t think, until much closer to the deadline. They’ re going to let that bidding war really blossom, see what happens to some of these other relievers.”
The Yankees’ bullpen, which was supposed to be a strength this season, has been shaky. Closer Aroldis Chapman’s ERA is more than double what it was last year (3.57 vs. 1.55) . Dellin Betances has not always been his usual dominant self. And Tyler Clippard is 1-5 with a 4.95 ERA.
MORE: Keidel: Can We Still Call This Season A Success If Yankees Miss Playoffs?
The Yankees lead the majors with 18 blown saves.
The Bombers also need help at first base, which is why Duda is on their radar. Greg Bird, who had surgery Tuesday, has missed most of the season with an ankle injury and won’ t be back until September at the earliest. Chris Carter, signed in the offseason to be an insurance policy for Bird, struggled badly before he was released.
“The thing with Duda, the Yankees are really the only team in the majors looking for a first baseman right now, so they’ re in a good spot.”
It’s not clear what the Yankees might be willing to give up to acquire either Reed or Duda, or both. General manager Brian Cashman has said he’s reluctant to part with any of the organization’s top prospects.
MORE: Yankees’ Greg Bird After Ankle Surgery: ‘My Season Is Not Over’
“The one thing people said, ‘Well, the Yankees aren’ t going to trade their top three, four, five prospects, ‚” Feinsand said. “But the Yankees’ six through 10 prospects are so good that, for a lot of teams, they would be their top five.”
Trades between the Yankees and Mets are rare. The last time it happened was 2004 when the Yankees sent left-handed relief pitcher Mike Stanton to Queens for lefty reliever Felix Heredia.
“ (Mets general manager) Sandy Alderson and Brian Cashman are both sensible business guys, ” Feinsand said. “They are going to do what’s best for their teams, whether it’s with the Yankees or the Mets or not.”
Some other players the Yankees have reportedly expressed interest in are Oakland first baseman Yonder Alonso, A’s pitcher Sonny Gray, Phillies reliever Pat Neshek and Marlin reliever David Phelps, who is a former Yankee.
The Bronx Bombers are 47-44 and currently in position for the second wild-card spot in the American League. They, however, have lost 21 of their last 30 games.
The Mets, who entered the season with World Series aspirations but have been beset by injuries, are 41-49 — 10½ games out of the NL wild card. General manager Alderson said last week that if the Mets’ 10-game homestand coming out of the All-Star break did not go “exceedingly well, ” he would likely begin looking to trade players with expiring contracts.
