Brooks Reilly (35, New York Mets), a longtime fan favorite with Lotte in the KBO, actually had a bumpy career. He was drafted in the sixth round (200th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2009, but his major league career has been unspectacular.
In 2012, he made his major league debut, going 1-2 with an 8.14 ERA in five starts, and in 2013, he pitched nine games out of the bullpen with no record and a 5.14 ERA. He seemed to have some limitations in the majors. In 2014, he stayed in the minors. The Cubs didn’t seem to have him in their plans.
His next option was the KBO. In 2015, at the young age of 27, he chose to go to Korea. If the major leagues had offered him a guaranteed contract, there was no reason for him to go to South Korea instead of Japan, especially at a time when turnaround success stories were few and far between, and going to South Korea meant the end of a career. There wasn’t much of a reason to do it other than to make money, and at that point, the major leagues had already calculated.
Railey found success in South Korea. A consistent starter at a relatively high level gave him plenty of time to hone his arsenal, and eight years after coming to Korea, chased or not, he’s now a valuable commodity on the major league trade market. It’s been a long time coming, but the fruit is sweet.
In recent years, Railey has become one of the league’s most prominent left-handed bullpen resources. That’s because he’s been steadily improving his stuff since returning to the majors in 2020. Last year, he made 60 appearances for Tampa Bay, recording 25 saves and a 2.68 ERA, and this year, he’s been called up by the New York Mets, who are challenging for the big leagues.
He had a bit of a rough start to the season, but once he got back on track, he’s been pitching like a man possessed. In the first half of the year, he appeared in 38 games and pitched 31⅓ innings, posting a 1-1 record, one save, and 17 strikeouts with a 2.30 ERA, making him a key part of the Mets’ bullpen.
The question is, will Reilly be on the trade market? The Mets, the highest-paid team in baseball this year and the favorites to win the World Series, finished the first half with a disappointing 42-48 (.467) record. They’re already 18.5 games behind league leader Atlanta, and Miami (.576) and Philadelphia (.539) are well ahead of them.카지노사이트
With winning the division now out of reach, the Mets are also in eighth place in the wild card race, with three spots available in the league. At the end of the first half, they are seven games behind San Francisco, who are third in the wild card race. They’re not at the point of giving up yet, but they still have to pass at least five of the teams ahead of them. This has led to speculation in the local media that the Mets will be looking to trade a few players.
Players like Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and Francisco Lindor are not easy to trade because of their high salaries. However, players like Reilly are different. His price tag is low, and he’s got a few years left on his contract, making him very attractive to the market. He could attract interest from contending teams in need of a left-handed bullpen.
NBC Boston also named Railey among its bullpen options in a column titled “Players to Target If Boston Becomes a Buyer in the Trade Market” on Wednesday. “Railey is having a great time for the Mets, who are coming off one of the most disappointing seasons in the league,” NBC Boston wrote, noting that the 35-year-old left-hander has a 2.30 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 38 appearances this season.
“(If acquired), he would provide a solid back end to the Red Sox bullpen alongside Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen,” the article continued, emphasizing that among left-handed bullpen arms, Railey is the most attractive option. Other teams are likely to have similar thoughts, so if Railey were to hit the trade market, there’s a good chance it would be a hotly contested deal.