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Tyler Rogers shares hilarious ‘parting gift' to Giants' bullpen after Mets trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Tyler Rogers may be a New York Met now, but a part of him remains at Oracle Park.

The veteran right-hander reliever, whom San Francisco traded to New York on Wednesday, “donated” his beloved beer fridge to the Giants’ clubhouse, ensuring a tradition that began under his brother Taylor Rogers will continue.

“It was a parting gift,” Tyler told reporters before Friday’s series opener between the Mets and Giants at Citi Field in Queens, also making sure to note that there is “a lot of wine” in the fridge, as well.

Rogers spent his entire MLB career with the Giants before Wednesday’s deal, and was their longest-tenured player. Over seven seasons, he appeared in 392 games, tied for the third-most of any MLB pitcher dating back to his 2019 rookie season. 

In those games, the 34-year-old posted a 2.79 ERA and 1.10 WHIP and was regarded as one of the most dependable late-inning relievers in all of baseball.

But with the Giants floundering as the 2025 MLB trade deadline approached, president of baseball operations Buster Posey sent Rogers to the Mets for right-handed pitcher José Buttó, right-handed pitcher Blade Tidwell (the Mets’ No. 10 prospect) and outfielder Drew Gilbert (No. 12 prospect).

Despite Rogers’ departure, he can be sure his “parting gift” will continue to refresh his former teammates for years to come.

We’ll toast to that.

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Mike Yastrzemski hits home run in first at-bat with Royals after Giants trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It didn’t take long for Mike Yastrzemski to ingratiate himself with his new team.

A little over 24 hours after he was traded from the Giants, the veteran outfielder smacked a two-run homer in his first at-bat with the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

Yastrzemski would go on to fly out in his final two plate appearances in the Royals’ 9-3 road win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Just before Thursday’s MLB trade deadline, the Giants sent Yastrzemski — their longest-tenured player, who had been with the team since his debut in 2019 — to Kansas City in exchange for minor-league pitcher Yunior Marte.

Yastrzemski hit 114 home runs over his seven seasons in San Francisco before his second-inning shot with his new club, his ninth of the 2025 MLB season. The 34-year-old outfielder, a fan favorite during his time in the Bay, will be a free agent at the end of the year.

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The Yankees avoided the worst-possible news on Aaron Judge's right elbow last week, and it now appears the superstar slugger may only face the minimum amount of time on the injured list.

Before their road series opener against the Marlins on Friday, manager Aaron Boonetold reporters the plan is for Judge to get live at-bats in Tampa on Sunday, in anticipation of him being activated on Tuesday or Wednesday against the Rangers.

While the Yankees' captain isn't scheduled to begin a throwing program for another week-plus, his flexor tendon strain didn't preclude him from taking on-field batting practice with teammates on Friday.

Judge received a PRP injection earlier this week to expedite the healing process. If all goes well with the bat this weekend, the reigning AL MVP will return as the Yankees' designated hitter. His temporary absence from the field will consequently mean some defensive work for Giancarlo Stanton.

The second half of July wasn't kind to Judge. Since the All-Star break, he's slashed an uncharacteristic .160/.267/.400 with two home runs, four RBI, and 11 strikeouts (25 at-bats).

Here’s Aaron Judge taking some swings during pregame batting practice in Miami, as expected. pic.twitter.com/3VAmAyO4Ru

— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) August 1, 2025

Former Giants closer Camilo Doval blows save in disastrous Yankees debut originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Former Giants closer Camilo Doval had an outing to forget in his debut for the New York Yankees on Friday night.

One day after being acquired in a trade with San Francisco, Doval took the mound in a save situation for New York with the Yankees holding a 12-10 ninth-inning lead over the Miami Marlins.

While Doval got burned by a costly error in right field, the flame-throwing reliever didn’t do himself any favors either, allowing two hits and a walk en route to a blown save in his first action with the Bronx Bombers.

allow me to reintroduce myself pic.twitter.com/RJuOh4w0Cm

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) August 2, 2025

Newly acquired utility man Jose Caballero was at fault for the blunder in right that helped seal the Yankees fate, putting Doval in a hole he couldn’t overcome.

I fear they forgot to solve for X pic.twitter.com/kHcksKv1uC

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) August 2, 2025

It was Doval’s fifth blown save in 20 opportunities this year, matching his total from the entire previous campaign with two months to go in the regular season.

After earning MLB All-Star honors and logging a league-high 39 saves during the 2023 MLB season, Doval has seen his numbers across the board dip.

Doval’s stuff is electric and when he’s on, he’s as exciting as any reliever in the sport.

Unfortunately for Yankees fans, they’ll have to wait for another day to see Doval in the light that led him to become a fan favorite during his time in San Francisco.

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Randy Rodriguez, Dominic Smith lift still-fighting Giants past Mets in extras originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The final week of July was tough for the Giants.

Six straight home losses to dip below .500 for the first time all season, followed by the departure of three of the team’s longest-tenured players at the MLB trade deadline.

However, August started much differently for the Giants, who showed they haven’t given up on 2025 with a gritty 4-3 win over the New York Mets in 10 innings at Citi Field on Friday night.

“We talked before the game — what happened, happened. We got ourselves into this situation, but we still have the big pieces that we brought in,” starter Robbie Ray told reporters postgame. “The core group of guys are here still. We didn’t do a major overhaul, so this team is still good enough to win.

“To be able to come out after the rough homestand and win the first one here is big.”

It certainly wasn’t pretty, as San Francisco relinquished a 3-0 lead entering the bottom of the seventh. Ray didn’t earn a decision despite a commanding seven innings, only surrendering an impressive opposite-field homer to Mets slugger Pete Alonso.

In the eighth inning, Juan Soto grounded what was likely a would-be inning-ending double-play ball up the middle at shortstop Willy Adames. Instead, the ball kicked off pitcher Joey Lucchesi’s toe, over Adames’ head and into left field. The Mets tied it one batter later, and it felt like the Giants might never escape their summer slide.

But unlike the previous week, the Giants still grinded out a win. After going 0-for-23 with runners in scoring position during last weekend’s series against the same Mets team, pinch hitter Dominic Smith came through when his team badly needed it. With a runner on third and one out, the former Met knocked a line-drive single in the 10th inning for the eventual game-winning RBI.

“We’ve been losing a lot of games because we haven’t been playing clean baseball,” Adames said postgame. “We know that we have to be better and play more games like that and try to execute. I feel like for us, today was a big game to start getting in a different mood, because it’s been tough. The boys are feeling it, and they knew that tonight we had to make an adjustment and go out there and try to win that game, no matter how. And it went our way. I mean, it almost didn’t — it was crazy. But we found a way to end up on top.”

One more hurdle remained, though. San Francisco had traded their typical eighth- and ninth-inning relievers, Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval, to the Big Apple in the prior two days.

Hours after being named the Giants’ closer, Randy Rodriguez showed he’s ready for the big-city lights in New York. The 2025 MLB All-Star stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th, pumping 100 mph past Ronny Mauricio to earn the save.

Perhaps symbolically, within the hour, Doval blew the save in his first appearance for the Yankees down in Miami.

Back in Queens, Rodriguez’s effort in an unfamiliar spot didn’t go unnoticed by his teammates.

“Obviously, Randy coming in, in that situation, and shutting the door, that was amazing,” Adames stated. “That showed the courage that he has and the kind of pitcher he is.”

“For [Rodriguez] to be named the closer, and coming in the first game after being named the closer in a pressure situation — extra innings, up one — and being able to lock it down was huge,” Ray added.

Now, the Giants, who currently sit six games out of a playoff spot, hope this emphatic win can kickstart a timely resurgence. The team was vocal about still having their core pieces in place — Adames, Matt Chapman and still-new addition Rafael Devers, among others — and the belief they can salvage the season.

“I’ll tell you right now, you saw the fight in these boys,” Smith told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Laura Britt and Shawn Estes on “Giants Postgame Live.” “We don’t give up. We don’t quit. We still believe in this group. We still know we’ve got two months left, and we’re going to finish strong no matter where we’re at. So I just look forward to capitalizing and having fun with this win, but we’re not done.

“We’ve still got our core group of guys here, so just beware — that’s all I’m saying.”

If the Giants can keep winning games like they did Friday, Smith’s assertive words might be proven correct.

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Phillies win a wild one to open August, top Tigers after Harper's ejection originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies packed plenty of drama into their first game after the trade deadline.

They came back Friday night for a wild 5-4 win at Citizens Bank Park over the Tigers in their series opener, improving to 62-47 overall.

Ranger Suarez started for the Phils and pitched well, allowing three runs and four hits in seven innings. He struck out five Tigers and walked none.

Gleyber Torres tagged Suarez for a three-run home run in the third inning, bashing a cutter 404 feet. 

The Phillies’ efforts to hit Tigers starter Jack Flaherty were futile. Max Kepler flew out to the center-field warning track in the bottom of the third. With two outs in the fourth, Nick Castellanos fouled off a 3-1 fastball and whiffed at a knuckle curveball. 

Edmundo Sosa picked up the Phils’ first knock, doubling off the top of the left-field wall with two outs in the fifth. He stayed on second base, though. The inning ended when Trea Turner popped up to shortstop.

Outside of the third inning, Suarez was highly effective and efficient. He reached seven innings pitched for the first time since June 29. 

Flaherty exited after the first batter of the seventh. Castellanos lined a leadoff single and lefty reliever Tyler Holton entered.

Otto Kemp pinch-hit for Brandon Marsh and flared a base hit to right field, moving Castellanos to third. That brought another pinch-hitter to the plate in Harrison Bader and the home crowd’s volume seriously jumped at the trade deadline addition’s Phillies debut. Bader continued the rally with a four-pitch walk. 

The Phils ultimately evened up the game. Bryson Stott produced a sacrifice fly and Turner’s single to right drove in Castellanos. Kyle Schwarber made it 3-all with a scorching single (113.7 mph exit velocity). 

Bryce Harper came to the plate, fell behind 0-2, and then watched three straight balls. He thought he saw a fourth, but third base umpire Vic Carapazza ruled that Harper swung on a low slider. 

The call outraged Harper, who removed his helmet, yelled at Carapazza and got ejected.

Though Harper was obviously not near the same page on the swing call, he said postgame that he “can’t get thrown out in that situation, especially with the ninth inning possibly coming around an my at-at coming.”

He also didn’t see the ejection as hasty.

“I left the batter’s box coming toward him, so I think it was warranted,” Harper said.

The sharp downturn in the Phils’ fortunes bled into the eighth inning. Wenceel Perez cleared the right-field fence for a go-ahead homer off of Orion Kerkering. 

The Phillies bounced right back. Castellanos singled and chugged home on a Kemp double down the left-field line.

Two infield singles gave the Phils an improbable lead. Sosa squibbed a ball in front of home plate and Brenan Hanifee’s wide throw to first base pulled Spencer Torkelson off the bag. Stott followed with a grounder to short and narrowly beat Javier Baez’s one-hop throw.

New closer Jhoan Duran was up next and made a fantastic first impression with a 1-2-3 save.

Game 2 of the series features a juicy pitching matchup. 

Zack Wheeler (9-4, 2.56 ERA) and Tarik Skubal (10-3, 2.09 ERA) are the scheduled starters on Saturday. Wheeler has 172 strikeouts this season, Skubal 171. First pitch is set for 4:05 p.m. ET. 

Rollins and Wade go on the Wall 

The Phillies inducted former general manager Ed Wade and former star shortstop Jimmy Rollins into their Wall of Fame in a pregame ceremony. 

Ryan Howard spoke before Rollins, who he called his “little big bro.” Chase Utley unveiled the two new Wall of Fame plaques. 

Rollins wasn’t short on charisma and humor. Recalling the Phillies’ choice to pick him in the second round of the 1996 MLB draft, Rollins noted he was grateful to be listed at 5-foot-9 instead of his true 5-7.

“Ed, I think it was a good decision,” he said. 

You can watch Rollins’ full speech here.

Rehab updates 

Aaron Nola, Joe Ross and David Robertson all pitched Friday in the first game of Triple A Lehigh Valley’s doubleheader against the Worcester Red Sox.

Nola tossed three innings and threw 47 pitches in his rehab start, allowing no runs and three hits. Ross logged one scoreless inning. Robertson conceded three runs in one inning of work and took the loss. 

Alec Bohm fielded pregame grounders at Citizens Bank Park. He’s progressing well in his rehab from a fractured rib, according to Phillies manager Rob Thomson. 

“They’re going to increase the tee and toss today, so he’s going to get some more swings, see how he feels,” Thomson said. “He’s moving around pretty good right now.” 

Phillies win a wild one to open August, top Tigers after Harper's ejection originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies packed plenty of drama into their first game after the trade deadline.

They came back Friday night for a wild 5-4 win at Citizens Bank over the Tigers in their series opener, improving to 62-47 overall.

Ranger Suarez started for the Phils and pitched well, allowing three runs and four hits in seven innings. He struck out five Tigers and walked none.

Gleyber Torres tagged Suarez for a three-run home run in the third inning, bashing a cutter 404 feet. 

The Phillies’ efforts to hit Tigers starter Jack Flaherty were futile. Max Kepler flew out to the center-field warning track in the bottom of the third. With two outs in the fourth, Nick Castellanos fouled off a fastball and whiffed at a knuckle curveball. 

Edmundo Sosa picked up the Phils’ first knock, doubling off the top of the left-field wall with two outs in the fifth. He stayed on second base, though. The inning ended when Trea Turner popped up to shortstop.

Outside of the third inning, Suarez was highly effective and efficient. He reached seven innings pitched for the first time since June 29. 

Flaherty exited after the first batter of the seventh. Castellanos lined a leadoff single and lefty reliever Tyler Holton entered.

Otto Kemp pinch-hit for Brandon Marsh and flared a base hit to right field, moving Castellanos to third. That brought another pinch-hitter to the plate in Harrison Bader and the home crowd’s volume seriously jumped at the trade deadline addition’s Phillies debut. Bader continued the rally with a four-pitch walk. 

The Phils ultimately evened up the game. Bryson Stott produced a sacrifice fly and Turner’s single to right drove in Castellanos. Kyle Schwarber made it 3-all with a scorching single (113.7 mph exit velocity). 

Bryce Harper came to the plate, fell behind 0-2, and then watched three straight balls. He thought he saw a fourth, but third base umpire Vic Carapazza ruled that Harper swung on a low slider. 

The call outraged Harper, who removed his helmet, yelled at Carapazza and got ejected.

The sharp downturn in the Phils’ fortunes bled into the eighth inning. Wenceel Perez cleared the right-field fence for a go-ahead homer off of Orion Kerkering. 

The Phillies bounced right back. Castellanos singled and chugged home on a Kemp double down the left-field line.

Two infield singles gave the Phils an improbable lead. Sosa squibbed a ball in front of home plate and Brenan Hanifee’s wide throw to first base pulled Spencer Torkelson off the bag. Stott followed with a grounder to short and narrowly beat Javier Baez’s one-hop throw.

New closer Jhoan Duran was up next and made a fantastic first impression with a 1-2-3 save.

Game 2 of the series features a juicy pitching matchup. 

Zack Wheeler (9-4, 2.56 ERA) and Tarik Skubal (10-3, 2.09 ERA) are the scheduled starters on Saturday. Wheeler has 172 strikeouts this season, Skubal 171. First pitch is set for 4:05 p.m. ET. 

Rollins and Wade go on the Wall 

The Phillies inducted former general manager Ed Wade and former star shortstop Jimmy Rollins into their Wall of Fame in a pregame ceremony. 

Ryan Howard spoke before Rollins, who he called his “little big bro.” Chase Utley unveiled the two new Wall of Fame plaques. 

Rollins wasn’t short on charisma and humor. Recalling the Phillies’ choice to pick him in the second round of the 1996 MLB draft, Rollins noted he was grateful to be listed at 5-foot-9 instead of his true 5-7.

“Ed, I think it was a good decision,” he said. 

You can watch Rollins’ full speech here.

Rehab updates 

Aaron Nola, Joe Ross and David Robertson all pitched Friday in the first game of Triple A Lehigh Valley’s doubleheader against the Worcester Red Sox.

Nola tossed three innings and threw 47 pitches in his rehab start, allowing no runs and three hits. Ross logged one scoreless inning. Robertson conceded three runs in one inning of work and took the loss. 

Alec Bohm fielded pregame grounders at Citizens Bank Park. He’s progressing well in his rehab from a fractured rib, according to Phillies manager Rob Thomson. 

“They’re going to increase the tee and toss today, so he’s going to get some more swings, see how he feels,” Thomson said. “He’s moving around pretty good right now.” 

Cedric Mullins was the lone offensive player the Mets acquired before the trade deadline, but he fills a massive need for the team.

New York needed a left-handed outfielder with speed, defense and an improved bat, and that's exactly what Mullins gives the Mets. He also gives them plenty of other attributes that he listed while speaking with the New York media for the first time as a Met.

"[The Mets are] a good fit. For me, I’m just trying to be myself and bring the type of game I know I can bring," Mullins said before Friday's series opener against the Giants at Citi Field. "Bunch of different stuff, using my legs, running, stealing bases, playing solid defense, showing a little bit of power here and there, bunts, just a little bit of everything."

Mullins arrived at Citi Field 15 minutes prior to speaking with the media in the home dugout. He took batting practice, met his new teammates and wanted to get used to his new environment. 

He described his last 24 hours as "hectic," as he tried to figure out the logistics of getting to Queens after the trade deadline. 

Mullins, who spent his entire eight-year career with Baltimore, even being drafted by them, said the whole trade process was hard to describe but he understood the business side of why the Orioles moved him. They were a below-.500 team and he was on an expiring contract.

"I’ve been in Baltimore my entire career, even since being drafted. That’s part of the business, but overall feeling is excitement," Mullins said.

He later added, "[The trade was] somewhat to be expected, just understanding the business side of the game. I just didn’t know where it might be. New York’s a great place to land."

The Mets also hope it's a great place for Mullins as he arrives, tearing it up offensively. Over his last 15 games, Mullins is slashing .306/.321/.531 with two home runs and eight RBI to go along with some highlight-reel catches in the outfield.

When he was asked what's been working for him lately, Mullins said it took some time, but he figured out certain moves he needed to make.

"Keying on a couple of adjustments I’ve been working on for a little bit," he said. "Sometimes it’s a challenge to figure out what to work on specifically. I think I found it, and it’s been giving me good results."

As for his role with the Mets, manager Carlos Mendoza intimated before the game that Mullins will see the bulk of the starts in center field. That's likely because the left-handed Mullins has hit southpaws very well this season. He's hitting .298 with three home runs and six doubles this season against lefties. 

The reason for that spike actually dates back to the offseason.

"Just seeing the ball better overall. I had issues picking up spins," he said. "Adjustments in the offseason helped with that."

Mullins hoped he could bring a championship to Baltimore, especially the last few seasons when the Orioles were at the top of the American League, but what does he hope to bring to a Mets team with similar championship aspirations?

"Bringing a ring back to the city, that’s what it’s all about," he said. "We go out there, have fun, but we want championships and this is a great opportunity to do so."

Mullins was activated for Friday's game but will be on the bench against the Giants. 

Cedric Mullins was the lone offensive player the Mets acquired before the trade deadline, but he fills a massive need for the team.

New York needed a left-handed outfielder with speed, defense and an improved bat, and that's exactly what Mullins gives the Mets. He also gives them plenty of other attributes that he listed while speaking with the New York media for the first time as a Met.

"[The Mets are] a good fit. For me, I’m just trying to be myself and bring the type of game I know I can bring," Mullins said before Friday's series opener against the Giants at Citi Field. "Bunch of different stuff, using my legs, running, stealing bases, playing solid defense, showing a little bit of power here and there, bunts, just a little bit of everything."

Mullins arrived at Citi Field 15 minutes prior to speaking with the media in the home dugout. He took batting practice, met his new teammates and wanted to get used to his new environment. 

He described his last 24 hours as "hectic," as he tried to figure out the logistics of getting to Queens after the trade deadline. 

Mullins, who spent his entire eight-year career with Baltimore, even being drafted by them, said the whole trade process was hard to describe but he understood the business side of why the Orioles moved him. They were a below-.500 team and he was on an expiring contract.

"I’ve been in Baltimore my entire career, even since being drafted. That’s part of the business, but overall feeling is excitement," Mullins said.

He later added, "[The trade was] somewhat to be expected, just understanding the business side of the game. I just didn’t know where it might be. New York’s a great place to land."

The Mets also hope it's a great place for Mullins as he arrives, tearing it up offensively. Over his last 15 games, Mullins is slashing .306/.321/.531 with two home runs and eight RBI to go along with some highlight-reel catches in the outfield.

When he was asked what's been working for him lately, Mullins said it took some time, but he figured out certain moves he needed to make.

"Keying on a couple of adjustments I’ve been working on for a little bit," he said. "Sometimes it’s a challenge to figure out what to work on specifically. I think I found it, and it’s been giving me good results."

As for his role with the Mets, manager Carlos Mendoza intimated before the game that Mullins will see the bulk of the starts in center field. That's likely because the left-handed Mullins has hit southpaws very well this season. He's hitting .298 with three home runs and six doubles this season against lefties. 

The reason for that spike actually dates back to the offseason.

"Just seeing the ball better overall. I had issues picking up spins," he said. "Adjustments in the offseason helped with that."

Mullins hoped he could bring a championship to Baltimore, especially the last few seasons when the Orioles were at the top of the American League, but what does he hope to bring to a Mets team with similar championship aspirations?

"Bringing a ring back to the city, that’s what it’s all about," he said. "We go out there, have fun, but we want championships and this is a great opportunity to do so."

Mullins was activated for Friday's game but will be on the bench against the Giants. 

Ryan Helsley was fully aware of the trade rumors linking him to the Mets -- he just didn't understand the interest at first, considering the established hierarchy in the back-end of their bullpen.

But by the time the hard-throwing veteran was acquired in a deal with the Cardinals on Wednesday, just one day before MLB's annual trade deadline, he realized that all contending teams strive for a surplus of high-leverage relievers.

"I was kind of surprised when you have [Edwin] Diaz here. But in the playoffs, you'll take as many good arms as you can get," Helsley said on Friday, wearing new uniform colors. "I'm excited. I obviously spent 11 years with St. Louis in their organization, but I'm excited to be here and be with such a great team."

Helsley is joining a revamped Mets bullpen that should provide ample support for Diaz, who's still entrusted with closer duties. There's plenty of firepower, too, as the team added Tyler Rogers in a swap with the Giants on Thursday and obtained Gregory Soto from the Orioles last week.

While it's still unclear how the Mets will delegate, a late-inning role undoubtedly belongs to Helsley, who logged a 3.00 ERA with 41 strikeouts and 21 saves across 36 appearances for the Cardinals this season.

"I told [Carlos Mendoza] I'll be ready to pitch whenever he wants me to," Helsley said. "[Diaz] has the ninth and he's one of the best closers in the game. He's been one of the best for seven years, so he definitely deserves that role. So if I need to throw the sixth, seventh, eighth, I'll be glad to do so."

The 2025 campaign hasn't been blemish-free for Helsley, as he's already blown more saves (5) than he did last season and opponents are hitting a robust .406 against his fastball with a .522 slugging percentage. 

But the 31-year-old isn't fazed by ninth-inning pressure -- he logged a league-best 49 saves in 2024, and his 103 saves since 2022 rank fourth among all relievers.

"During the trade deadline, anybody that's looking at you, they're probably in the hunt for a playoff spot," Helsley said. "That's exciting. But looking at this team and how we competed against them this year, you know how strong they are, from top to bottom. The pitching staff as a whole too."

Helsley is slated to become a free agent this coming offseason. Whether or not he returns to the team in 2026, he's equipped to provide a tremendous boost to a championship contender that's in the thick of a division race.

Since the start of June, the Mets' bullpen owns a 4.87 ERA, the 25th-worst mark in the majors.

Ryan Helsley was fully aware of the trade rumors linking him to the Mets -- he just didn't understand the interest at first, considering the established hierarchy in the back-end of their bullpen.

But by the time the hard-throwing veteran was acquired in a deal with the Cardinals on Wednesday, just one day before MLB's annual trade deadline, he realized that all contending teams strive for a surplus of high-leverage relievers.

"I was kind of surprised when you have [Edwin] Diaz here. But in the playoffs, you'll take as many good arms as you can get," Helsley said on Friday, wearing new uniform colors. "I'm excited. I obviously spent 11 years with St. Louis in their organization, but I'm excited to be here and be with such a great team."

Helsley is joining a revamped Mets bullpen that should provide ample support for Diaz, who's still entrusted with closer duties. There's plenty of firepower, too, as the team added Tyler Rogers in a swap with the Giants on Thursday and obtained Gregory Soto from the Orioles last week.

While it's still unclear how the Mets will delegate, a late-inning role undoubtedly belongs to Helsley, who logged a 3.00 ERA with 41 strikeouts and 21 saves across 36 appearances for the Cardinals this season.

"I told [Carlos Mendoza] I'll be ready to pitch whenever he wants me to," Helsley said. "[Diaz] has the ninth and he's one of the best closers in the game. He's been one of the best for seven years, so he definitely deserves that role. So if I need to throw the sixth, seventh, eighth, I'll be glad to do so."

The 2025 campaign hasn't been blemish-free for Helsley, as he's already blown more saves (5) than he did last season and opponents are hitting a robust .406 against his fastball with a .522 slugging percentage. 

But the 31-year-old isn't fazed by ninth-inning pressure -- he logged a league-best 49 saves in 2024, and his 103 saves since 2022 rank fourth among all relievers.

"During the trade deadline, anybody that's looking at you, they're probably in the hunt for a playoff spot," Helsley said. "That's exciting. But looking at this team and how we competed against them this year, you know how strong they are, from top to bottom. The pitching staff as a whole too."

Helsley is slated to become a free agent this coming offseason. Whether or not he returns to the team in 2026, he's equipped to provide a tremendous boost to a championship contender that's in the thick of a division race.

Since the start of June, the Mets' bullpen owns a 4.87 ERA, the 25th-worst mark in the majors.