The Mets are playing simultaneous games as the trade deadline approaches, trying to bulk up to make the playoffs/win the division and attempting to improve their World Series odds.

The addition of Gregory Soto on Friday threaded that needle in their view — a reliever for now and later.

The Mets have nothing assured, but have pretty strong odds on making the postseason for consecutive years for just the third time in their history and – in the best outcome – winning the NL East for the first time since 2015 with one of the two best NL records to gain a first-round bye.

They have to go through Philadelphia to win the division and have seven games remaining against the Phillies. For most of this season, they lacked a lefty reliever they would feel comfortable unleashing on Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. But Brooks Raley made his return after Tommy John surgery on July 19 and so far, so good on how he has looked, and they obtained the hard-throwing Soto from the Orioles for pitching prospects Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster.