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By Andrew Wright
Contributing Sports Writer
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This year may finally be the one that sees the New York Mets get back to the World Series for the first time since 2015.
New York came ever so close last season before falling in six games in the NLCS to the eventual World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
The offseason addition of Juan Soto mixed with excellent pitching has the Mets off to a 45-24 start, good for the best record in the National League. There are, however, still improvements that could be made.
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New York currently boasts the second-best bullpen ERA in MLB at 2.89, making it hard to think that there are improvements that can be made to that staff.
One thing the Mets are lacking is a dominant reliever from the left side. The bullpen is right-handed heavy, so here are two possible trade targets for New York to go after to balance the bullpen.
Aroldis Chapman, Boston Red Sox
If the Red Sox continue to struggle, Chapman's one-year contract makes him an easy trade target, and the Mets have all the assets to get Chapman in the blue and orange.
Chapman is having an excellent season in the Boston bullpen to the tune of a 1.59 ERA, 12 saves and 39 strikeouts in 31 appearances and 28 1/3 innings. His average fastball velocity sits at 99.2 mph, good for the 99th percentile.
The addition of Chapman to the back end of the bullpen with Ryan Stanek and Edwin Diaz could be viewed as one of the best and hardest-throwing bullpen trios in the league.
Keegin Akin, Baltimore Orioles
Akin is a name that is going under the radar when discussing trade candidates from the Orioles, but it seems like he could be one of the more likely moveable pieces.
Nabbing a left-hander with a sub-3.00 ERA at the trade deadline would be like finding gold, and for the Mets, Akin would not cost nearly as much as Chapman would.
Akin is the exact opposite of Chapman in the velocity department, as his average fastball velocity is just 90.2 mph, putting him in the 37th percentile. His best weapon, though, is his filthy changeup.
Hitters are 0-for-24 with eight strikeouts this season against Akin's changeup and have a .095 expected batting average against the pitch. That addition, paired with the high-velocity arms of Stanek and Diaz, would be an excellent mix and a great addition for the Mets.
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