Before the 2023 season, the New York Mets traded minor league pitcher Keyshawn Askew to the Tampa Bay Rays to acquire left-handed reliever Brooks Raley. Raley wasn’t a widely recognized player. He had a brief stint with the Chicago Cubs in 2012 and 2013, then played in Korea from 2015 to 2019. Returning to the MLB in 2020, he moved from the Cincinnati Reds to the Houston Astros, and in 2022, he pitched for the Rays before joining the Mets.
Raley’s time with the Mets was highly successful. In 2023, he posted a 2.80 ERA across 66 appearances. In 2024, he didn’t give up any runs before going on the injured list. Unfortunately, he is now expected to undergo Tommy John surgery, ending his opportunity to continue playing for the Mets.
Carlos Mendoza confirms Brooks Raley will undergo season-ending surgery. Currently to be determined if it’s Tommy John or the brace surgery
“It’s unfortunate because he gave everything he had” pic.twitter.com/uIOA0Ncy50
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 22, 2024
The lengthy rehabilitation process for Raley will prompt the Mets to explore other options moving forward. With Raley turning 36 next month, it’s uncertain if he will be able to pitch at all in 2025. We wish him the best in his recovery, while also feeling frustrated that the Mets couldn’t secure more wins with him or manage a successful trade involving him this summer.
Consider the Mets the early winners in the original Brooks Raley trade
Keyshawn Askew hasn’t fully thrived with the Rays in the minors. Last season, he posted a 3.99 ERA over 97 innings, working both as a starter and reliever in High-A and Double-A. This year, still in Double-A but now exclusively a reliever, his ERA has improved to 3.18. However, his WHIP is high at 1.47, his walk rate is 4.8 per nine innings, and his strikeouts have decreased to 8.5 per nine innings, compared to his career average of 12 strikeouts per nine innings.
Despite these mixed results, Askew has the potential to become a standout reliever for Tampa Bay, making the one-for-one trade one of Billy Eppler’s better moves. Among the additions for the 2023 season, few were as effective as this trade.
The Mets had the option to part ways with Raley this offseason, but after his successful first year, picking up his $6.5 million option was an easy choice. They also bolstered their bullpen with another former Rays pitcher, Jake Diekman. Moving forward, the Mets will rely on Diekman and hopefully a consistently reliable Josh Walker as their primary left-handed relievers.
