​There has been plenty of chatter about which players the Mets will choose to part with as their trade deadline approaches. With August 3 looming, two veteran left-handers whose contracts expire soon appear to be prime targets for the Mets to move: A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley. If both depart, that would open two significant left-handed options in the Mets’ bullpen, potentially reshaping how they manage late-inning innings down the stretch.
Rather than chasing potential upgrades from outside the organization, the Mets may opt to lean on an in-house candidate who could earn a major-league opportunity: Nate Lavender. The 26-year-old left-hander has been steadily rebuilding his mound presence after a difficult period. Lavender had created substantial buzz in 2023 by pitching to a 2.98 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP while striking out 89 batters across two levels within the Mets system. His progress was interrupted early in the following season when an elbow injury required an internal brace procedure after just five appearances. The Mets exposed him to the Rule 5 Draft, where the Rays took him, only for him to return to the Mets organization after not appearing in a game in 2025.
Lavender has been steadily climbing back since then. He resumed work with the Mets during spring training and began rehabbing in the lower levels before finding his footing again with Syracuse. In his most recent performance on Friday night, Lavender added two more strikeouts in a scoreless outing, bringing his total to 43 strikeouts in 25.2 Triple-A innings. That tally places him among the International League leaders in strikeouts, boasting a rate of 41.0 percent, which ranks third in the league. His return to form has also featured durability: Lavender has gone multiple innings in five of his last seven appearances, including a recent outing in which he struck out six of the seven hitters he faced. Over that stretch, he’s allowed just two runs, driving his ERA down to 3.51 at the level.
While Lavender isn’t a power pitcher by any stretch, his skill set checks several important boxes. He’s a funky lefty with a deceptive delivery who keeps the ball on the ground and consistently generates swing-and-miss opportunities. Those traits can be particularly valuable in high-leverage situations, where inducing ground balls and swing-and-miss sequences can help a bullpen function more efficiently against tough lineups. The Mets may find that Lavender’s repertoire and approach translate well to the majors with the right developmental path in front of him.
For the Mets, the stretch run this season might not be about winning a championship or clinching a postseason berth, but about continuing to evaluate and refine their pitching depth. Lavender’s anticipated major-league debut could become a notable storyline as the organization assesses whether his springboard performance in the minors will translate to effective major-league action. If the club decides to prioritize internal development and cost-effective depth, Lavender’s progression could become one of the more interesting subplots of the Mets’ acquisition and bullpen-management plan as the season unfolds.
In the broader context of the Mets’ plan to adjust the bullpen, Lavender’s trajectory offers a compelling narrative: a left-handed pitcher with a non-traditional frame who has learned to maximize his ground-ball tendency and strikeout capability. If he continues his recent momentum, the organization may soon give him a legitimate look in the majors, potentially as a late-inning option or as a flexible southpaw out of the bullpen who can bridge between the starter’s longer outings and the late-inning relievers. The potential impact of Lavender’s ascent could extend beyond a single season, shaping how the Mets structure their bullpen for both the current campaign and the years ahead.