Report: Mets Trade Lefty Vargas To Phillies
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — The Mets keep wheeling and dealing.
According to multiple reports, New York reportedly traded veteran left-hander Jason Vargas to the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday afternoon.
Jason Vargas has been traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, a source tells ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 29, 2019
The upshot for the Mets in the Jason Vargas trade: They'll save $2 million, which they theoretically can spend on an upgrade this season or next.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 29, 2019
The upshot for the Phillies: They add Jason Vargas to recent addition Drew Smyly and try to paper over a lack of pitching depth.
Earlier, The Associated Press reported the teams were getting close on a deal, which was expected to send Double-A catcher Austin Bossart to New York.
A 36-year-old southpaw, Vargas is 6-5 with a 4.01 ERA, winning his last three starts. He became expendable when the Mets acquired right-hander Marcus Stroman from Toronto on Sunday night for a pair of pitching prospects.
Vargas said after beating Pittsburgh on Sunday that he did not expect to be traded. He is owed $2,666,667 of his $8 million salary for the remainder of this season, and his contract includes an $8 million club option for 2020 with a $2 million buyout.
The 26-year-old Bossart is hitting .195 with seven homers and 28 RBIs at Reading of the Eastern League. He was a 14th-round pick in the 2015 amateur draft from the University of Pennsylvania.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)