If you’re a relief pitcher, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll change teams at some point in your career.
Although Twins reliever Griffin Jax isn’t on an expiring deal and may not be urgently sold off by Minnesota, he understands the nature of MLB.
“Odds are I’m not going to finish my career here,” Jax said, per The Athletic. “That’s just kind of like the trajectory of a lot of high-end relievers. That’s typically the path.”
But while he accepts that this could likely be his fate, it doesn’t mean he’s any less conflicted about it.
“I’m emotionally torn because a huge part of me wants nothing to do but to spend the rest of my career [with the Twins], this is basically all they’ve known,” Jax added. “But at the same time, it’s exciting to see.”
Those emotions of a trade could come into play at the trade deadline at the end of this month — and the Mets could be the team forcing Jax into those feelings.
The Twins are 10.5 games back in the AL Central, and are looking like they will be sellers at the trade deadline.
While Jax is under two more years of team control, the Twins are reportedly taking calls from interested teams willing to make offers for the 30-year-old righty.
The Mets are in dire need of a reliever, and especially one that they’ll have some contract control over down the line, considering that shutdown closer Edwin Díaz is more than likely turning down his player option at the end of this season.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns may have his eye on Jax for this exact reason, and Jax is arbitration eligible for the next two years.
Jax has posted a 3.74 ERA in 46 appearances this season, while being one of Minnesota’s top options out of the bullpen, and had a career-best 2.03 ERA in 72 appearances a season ago.