David Stearns, Mets just destroyed reliever trade market before Yankees could pounce

With the normal caveat that teams value players very differently internally, and don't make trades by pulling out the MLB Pipeline rankings and saying, "I'll take a four, a seven, and a 12," the New York Mets just objectively threw a wrench into the rental reliever market before the Yankees had a chance to make their first play in an area of need. That's what you get for waiting closer 'til the deadline and making three lineup changes before a pitching move.

Austin Slater and Amed Rosario represent real depth upgrades. Ryan McMahon didn't feel flashy at first, but the ease with which he fielded two dribblers in the ninth inning last night might've directly won the Yankees a second game during his short tenure. Now, the Yankees must supplement their bullpen and rotation just to keep their existing arms alive, and David Stearns and Co. just made that much harder.

If Brian Cashman isn't "all in" on the current roster, then he may feel better about patching it up with rental relievers rather than splurging for controllable ones by using his top trade chips. Unfortunately, a rental now costs the price of a longer-term arm, thanks to Stearns, who just flipped top-15 prospects Blade Tidwell and Drew Gilbert, along with Mets 'pen arm José Buttó (3.64 ERA this season) to San Francisco in exchange for Tyler Rogers.

Rogers is having a very good season at the age of 34 with a 1.80 ERA and 0.860 WHIP. We also have enough data by now to know what Rogers is: a good, solid, crafty reliever. He isn't overpowering. He isn't Jhoan Duran. And he costs a bundle these days.

The cost of a rental reliever just rose for the Yankees after Mets swapped three notable names for SF Giants' Taylor Rogers

Will the Yankees still feel like they can commit to the type of prospect package it'll take to land, say, Danny Coulombe? Or did Stearns and the Mets just spook Cashman into turtling, given the leaked opinion we already know he has about his current bunch?

The Yankees can't afford not to add live bodies down the stretch so that they can survive in playoff position (or close to it) until Fernando Cruz and Mark Leiter Jr. come back. They'll get pitching. But this hefty cost might've raised the bidding, and preemptively decreased the quality of whatever the Yanks ultimately end up bringing in.