New York Mets Acquire Reliever Tyler Clippard

Photo Credit: Cary Edmondson – USA Today

The New York Mets have acquired relief pitcher Tyler Clippard from the Oakland Athletics, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. In return, the Athletics will receive prospect Casey Meisner.

Meisner, the third round pick in 2013, was recently promoted to Single-A St. Lucie, sporting a 2.83 ERA over six starts. He is 10-4 with a 2.35 ERA on the year.

Clippard has been more than solid for the Athletics, posting a 2.79 ERA and an 8.8 strikeout-per-nine ratio over 37 appearances. But with his contract expiring at the end of the year and Oakland slipping out of the playoff race fast, moving expiring contracts is a must.

The 30-year-old reliever is the second Oakland player to be moved prior to the deadline – and will likely not be the last. Rumors have been floating around that Ben Zobrist is on the block and there are possible suitors checking in on the second baseman.

The Mets will use Clippard as a set-up man for their playoff push. New York is currently two games behind the NL East-leading Washington Nationals and 3.5 games out of the Wild Card. Adding bullpen depth and offense are two of the team’s main priorities and they have done so prior to the trade deadline.

As reported by Adam Rubin of ESPN, the Mets were looking to add a setup man after the Kelly Johnson-Juan Uribe trade with Atlanta. With Jenrry Mejia ineligible for the postseason, having another reliable go-to option late in the game was a must for New York.

Joel Sherman reports Mets now more interested in trading for setup man than bat. Remember, Jenrry Mejia ineligible for postseason.

— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN) July 26, 2015

The Mets may not be finished, as they are still interesting in adding more offense for the final playoff push. There have been rumors that linked the team to internal discussions for Milwaukee’s Gerardo Parra, Cincinnati’s Jay Bruce and San Diego’s Justin Upton, among others.