Mets trade Jason Vargas to Phillies

Per Jeff Passan, the Mets have traded Jason Vargas to the Phillies, receiving Double-A catcher Austin Bossart from Philadelphia. This is the Mets’ second move of the 2019 trade-season, after acquiring Marcus Stroman yesterday. It’s still unclear what their overarching strategy is; they’ve effectively replaced Vargas with Stroman in their current rotation, improving their team both now and in 2020, but rumors continue to swirl regarding Zack Wheeler and Noah Syndergaard.

Vargas is in the second season of a two-year, $16 million deal that also featured an $8 million option for 2020 with a $2 million buyout. The first year of his tenure with the Mets was rough, but he’s been much better in year two, posting a 4.01 ERA and a 4.71 FIP. Most advanced metrics peg him as a roughly league average starter, and he’s been a viable option at the back of the rotation despite averaging less than 85 MPH on his fastball this season.