The New York Mets are, somewhat surprisingly, still in the thick of the National League playoff race as the July 31 MLB non-waiver trade deadline approaches. GM Sandy Alderson has only one goal at the deadline -- improve the team's woeful bullpen.
"That’s the number one priority," Alderson said of the bullpen. "We’ve looked at other things. Other things could develop. But we’re focused on a long-term plan with the recognition that 2012 is very important, and we want to be as competitive as we can possibly be. Hopefully we don’t have to compromise the vision."
The long-term vision is, of course, that the Mets believe they have a young core and will be better in the future than they are now. They don't want to sacrifice too much young talent. Make no mistake, though, the GM is intent on improving his team. "We are buyers," Alderson said. "Right now, we’re buyers."
Entering play on Tuesday, the Mets' 4.90 bullpen ERA is the worst in baseball. The latest name to be bandied about in terms of the Mets is Kansas City's Jonathan Broxton. The 28-year-old former Los Angeles Dodger is 1-1 with 22 saves in 33 appearances for the Royals.