On Sunday, the New York Mets traded their experienced closer and righty Jeurys Familia to the Oakland Athletics for RHP Bobby Wahl, 3B Will Toffey, and future considerations. This was the first year that Familia was thrown into trade rumors, as the Mets are realizing that a full rebuild is becoming a reality as the days go on. They’ve been making rumors about guys like Asdrúbal Cabrera, Zack Wheeler, Steven Matz, and Jacob deGrom. Familia might be just the beginning for the Mets. In this article, I’ll breakdown how this trade affects the Mets and A’s, and if it’ll take them to a Wild Card spot.

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First, I’ll talk about how this trade affects the Mets. As good as Familia is, he won’t affect the future Mets team at all, as they are far from contending. The pitcher they got, Wahl, was very solid as a reliever in the A’s system, pitching a 3-2 record, 2.27 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 65 strikeouts, 17 BB, and a .130 BAA in 39.2 innings pitched. The third basemen they got, Toffey, wasn’t very good in Class A Advanced, hitting for a .244 BA, 5 HR, 32 RBI, .357 OBP, .384 SLG, .741 OPS, 29 walks, 49 strikeouts, 40 H, 8 2B, and 0 3B in 164 at-bats.

This trade is not looking good for the Mets, although it’s not terrible considering Familia is probably not going to be with them for their future. Their bullpen will definitely improve with Wahl, although he’s a little old for a prospect at age 26. He could develop into their future closer to possibly replace Familia. Toffey reminds me of a worse version of Jon Jay. Jay has a great average and on-base percentage, but his slugging percentage is awful. If he develops more, he’ll help the Mets’ desperate infield.

Now I’ll get into what this trade means for Oakland. This is the first deadline in what seems like forever where they’re buying. Familia is an incredible addition to an already amazing bullpen. Familia has pitched very well with the Mets, positing a 4-4 record, 2.88 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 43 SO, 14 BB, and a .234 BAA in 40.2 innings pitched. While this trade seems like a steal for Oakland, Familia could be a rental as he’s only under contract for the rest of the season.

Like I said before, this trade combines him with an already incredible bullpen. He’s been making a great set-up man for closer Blake Treinen, who’s been unbelievable this current season, posting a 5-2 record, 1.02 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 69 SO, 18 BB, and a .168 BAA in 53 innings pitched. They also have setup guys like Lou Trivino, who has a 1.30 ERA in 48.1 innings pitched, and Yusmeiro Petit, who has a 3.43 ERA in 63 innings pitched. Those 4 pitchers create not just a dominate, but almost godly bullpen that can hold onto a game if a starter pitches 5 or 6 innings!

Now, the big question here is if this addition can take them to a Wild Card spot. Currently, the A’s are 1 game back from a Wild Card spot while riding a 6-game winning streak. In the end, I definitely think the A’s will be facing the Yankees in the Wild Card game in the Bronx. The Mariners, who currently have the second spot, have shown interest in starters and relievers, but there are no game-changers, like deGrom, definitely on the market. They can still make a bunch of moves, but if they don’t then I think the A’s will be taking that second Wild Card spot.

So, who won the trade? In my opinion, it’s definitely the A’s. Even though Familia is a rental, Oakland definitely can re-sign him and they didn’t give up many prospects for him. Toffey isn’t a good slugger and Wahl is qualifying for his prime next year and is only in AA. As long as Familia can make his ERA better in Oakland, the A’s are the clear winners of this trade in my opinion.