Mets Pick Up Gregory Soto in Swap with Orioles

With trade season upon us, the first major relief arm is off the board. First reported by SNY’s Andy Martino, the New York Mets acquired left-handed reliever Gregory Soto from the Baltimore Orioles.

Soto, a free agent after this season, is a two-time All-Star and features an upper-90s fastball with a power slider. He gives New York a second left-handed option in the bullpen, joining Brooks Raley, who returned from Tommy John Surgery last week.

In exchange, the Mets sent a pair of right-handed pitching prospects to Baltimore: Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster. MLB Pipeline ranked Aracena as the Mets’ No. 19 prospect.

What Soto Brings to Queens

It should not come as a secret that the Orioles are selling from their wealthy crop of veteran relievers. A few weeks back, the club sent Bryan Baker to Tampa Bay. Now, it is Soto who finds himself on the move.

Soto is in the midst of his seventh MLB season and is the quintessential power bullpen arm, especially from the left side. Over the past two seasons, he has struck out 11 batters per nine innings, and his sinking fastball averages 96.8 mph in 2025.

The biggest issue with Soto is that his command is never guaranteed. His 4.5 BB/9 in ‘25 is in line with his career average, as the 30-year-old lefty has handed out 18 walks in 36 ⅓ innings. He has also plunked five batters.

However, the upside is undeniable. Even with the struggles to consistently pound the strike zone, Soto’s ERA sits at 3.96 and is incredibly difficult to hit hard.

Advanced stats would indicate that he is pitching even better than that figure, as Soto’s xERA is 3.34. He has allowed just two home runs this season. His barrel percentage (4.3%) sits in the 94th percentile across the league, according to Baseball Savant. Among left-handed relievers with at least 30 innings pitched this season, Soto ranks ninth in K/9. 

As one of two southpaws in manager Carlos Mendoza’s bullpen, Soto’s job will be to retire prominent lefty bats late in games. Lefties have hit just .138 against him this season, while he has struck out 22 of the 70 (31%) left-handed hitters that he has faced. 

Although he primarily leans on two distinct pitchers, his sinker and slider, Soto will occasionally mix in a four-seamer and a sweeper and has toyed around with a splitter in rare instances this year.

Soto was an All-Star twice with Detroit, converting a combined 48 saves while pitching to a 3.34 ERA in 2021 and 2022. He has appeared in six career postseason games, allowing two runs in 3 ⅔ innings.

While it is not the big splash that fans are waiting for, Soto provides New York with an established veteran reliever who will fill a niche in their bullpen.

What the Mets are Giving Up

Aracena is the prize of Baltimore’s return, as at just 20 years old, he has excelled at Low-A Port St. Lucie. Despite starting eight games, he profiles as a reliever and has pitched to an ERA of 2.38. Like Soto, Aracena has big strikeout stuff, punching out 84 batters in 64 ⅓ innings. According to MLB Pipeline, Aracena has a 60-grade fastball that sits in the high 90s and tops out over 100 mph. 

Foster has had a strong year in his own right, pitching in his third minor league season. He was a 14th-round pick in 2022 out of McNesse State and has excelled in Double-A Binghamton this season. In 26 ⅔ innings for the Rumbleponies, Foster held an ERA of 1.01, but was roughed up for seven runs in two Triple-A outings before being sent back down.

All 19 of his appearances have been in relief.

It is a good return for the Orioles, who are far out of a race and were set to lose Soto to free agency after the season. In return, they get a pair of young, controllable arms with high upside. 

Is this it for New York?

This should be just the first of a flurry of moves that President of Baseball Operations David Stearns will make. We mentioned Soto in our list of names that the Mets could pursue ahead of next week’s deadline.

As we outlined earlier today, the Mets should be in the market for even more relief help. Soto provides help against lefties, but does not profile as a true set-up man for Edwin Diaz. They will likely look for more help, with names like Griffin Jax and David Bednar available. 

Will Sammon of The Athletic reported after the trade that, “After adding Soto, the Mets still eye multiple additions to their bullpen.”

This is a smart first step for the Mets, who are desperately in need of bullpen help. Soto, when paired with Raley, forms a strong tandem of lefties going forward.