Mets send Jason Vargas to Philadelphia

This past Monday, Jason Vargas’ time in a Mets uniform came to an end. Just two days before the trade deadline, the left-hander left Flushing to join the Philadelphia Phillies, who currently reside in third place in the NL East with a 56-50 record. In return for Vargas and cash considerations, the Mets acquired minor league catcher Austin Bossart.

Vargas first joined the Mets in 2018, where he struggled to produce quality outings for the team, putting up a 7-9 record over 20 starts with a 5.77 ERA. Things were looking much better for Vargas this season, as he was able to secure a 6-5 record through 19 starts with 81 hits, 39 walks and 81 strikeouts. His 4.01 ERA was the second lowest in the starting rotation, with reigning NL Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom leading the group with a 2.86 ERA.

His improvements on the mound for the Mets, however, were not enough to keep him in their rotation; the organization had their mind set on improving their pitching situation, which they accomplished Sunday night when adding right-hander Marcus Stroman to their roster. Stroman has been enjoying the 2019 season, securing a 2.96 ERA, 99 strikeouts and a spot as a first-time All-Star.

With Jason Vargas headed out to Philadelphia, the Mets will be welcoming Austin Bossart to their ball club. Bossart was selected as a 14^th round pick by the Phillies in the 2015 MLB draft. This season, he has collected 39 hits and seven home runs, and is hitting .195/.303/.335. He is considered to be more of a threat from behind the plate, as he has a career fielding percentage of .990 and was a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award in 2015, which honors the country’s top catcher.

Vargas is expected to make his debut with the Phillies this weekend as the team takes on the Chicago White Sox for a three-game series. He made headlines in the world of baseball, along with Mets manager Mickey Callaway, in June after threatening a reporter following the team’s 5-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs. The Mets are expected to save $2 million with this trade that they can use to add more depth to their roster as they continue to fight in the NL Wild Card battle.