Mets Acquire Paul Blackburn from A's Mets Aquire Paul Blackburn

Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images

July 30, 2024

The New York Mets are continuing to add to their pitching staff. Going righty for righty the Mets acquire starter Paul Blackburn from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Kade Morris who was down in Low-A St. Lucie. This comes in only two hours before the July 30th trade deadline.

Blackburn with the A’s

With eight major league seasons under his belt, Blackburn has more experience than the now-vulnerable starters Tylor Megill and David Peterson. This season with the Athletics Blackburn has a 4.41 ERA with 15 walks, 38 strikeouts and a 1.16 WHIP in 9 starts.

Blackburn has 9 starts and spent time on the injured list with a stress reaction on his right foot. Blackburn has been recently reinstated and was activated on July 26th. Originally placed on the 15-day IL, he was later placed on the 60 IL. In 3 3 rehab appearances he posted an 18.00 ERA in starts with Single-A Stockton and Triple-A Las Vegas.

Blackburn’s Place in the Mets’ Rotation

The Mets will now have to move one of their established starters for Blackburn to come in. Megill and Peterson have been the two starters to struggle the most. Megill being the only righty of the two makes him the most vulnerable. In addition to being the righty, his 5.20 ERA in 9 starts puts him at more risk.

Morris’ Beginning with the Mets

In 2023 Morris was drafted by the Mets in the 3rd round of the MLB draft. In his final season at the University of Nevada, he had a 5.42 ERA in 14 starts. For his only year as a primary starter, he also had 85 strikeouts in 81 1/3 innings with 27 walks and hit 10 batters.

Morris was a draft pick of the Mets in 2023. He had one start in Low-A and one start in Rookie league. In those two starts in 2023, he went 3 1/3 with two walks, three strikeouts and one earned run. Morris threw 57 2/3 innings in 11 appearances with High-A Brooklyn before the Mets sent him down to St. Lucie. In 18 appearances this season, he is currently putting up a 3.51 ERA with 95 strikeouts in 92 1/3 innings.