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The New York Mets and San Francisco Giants agreed to a four-player swap on Thursday, just more than 24 hours away from Major League Baseball’s trade deadline, that centered around veteran reliever Tyler Rogers. The Giants, in exchange, netted three players who could appear in the majors for them down the stretch: right-handers José Buttó and Blade Tidwell and outfielder Drew Gilbert.

As is tradition here at CBS Sports, anytime a notable move is made ahead of the deadline, we spring into action by offering instant analysis in the form of a grades column. Below you’ll find our thoughts on the deal, as well as a summation of said thoughts in the form of a letter grade. 

Before diving in, let’s once again recap the trade in its full terms:

• Mets receive: RHP Tyler Rogers
• Giants receive: RHP José Buttó, RHP Blade Tidwell, and OF Drew Gilbert

Now, onward.

Mets grade: B

One secret to Major League Baseball’s transaction madness is understanding that teams value 40-player spots more than the general public realizes. They have only so many to hand out — 40, yes, but sometimes more depending on how many players are on the 60-day injured list — and there are a slew of downstream considerations from there that come into play.

What the Mets did here was the equivalent of turning whatever one has nearing expiration in their fridge into that night’s dinner. Sure, you may except Tidwell from that description, but Buttó may not have survived another winter on the roster and Gilbert — not on the 40-player roster presently but requiring a spot before this offseason’s Rule 5 draft — was probably heading elsewhere between now and Opening Day 2025. The Mets, then, turned a few bubble players into a quality reliever who can pitch in leverage situations for them as they attempt to lock down a division title — and gained another 40-player spot that should be filled before the deadline passes.

Rogers, 34, isn’t your traditional late-game arm. He doesn’t throw hard and he isn’t a threat to strike out the side. (To wit, he hasn’t struck out even eight batters per nine innings since 2020.) He’s entirely dependent on missing barrels, not bats, and generating weak ground-ball contact. It works for him, quite well even: he’s accumulated a 151 ERA+ since the start of the 2023 season, a mark that ranks 22nd among relievers with at least 100 appearances over that span — or, ahead of names like Aroldis Chapman, Raisel Iglesias, and Anthony Bender.

Rogers ought to slot in nicely to a bullpen that already features Edwin Díaz and that recently added Brooks Raley (returning from injury) and Gregory Soto (acquired in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles). This shouldn’t be the biggest trade the Mets make to close out the mad season, but it’s a sensible one that could pay its share of dividends in situational value.

Giants grade: B-

At a glance, this looks like a king’s haul for a rental reliever, albeit a highly effective one. Gilbert and Tidwell aren’t far removed from being top-52 selections in the draft, and Buttó has established himself as a rubber-armed righty with multi-inning capabilities. It’s probably fair to write that there’s more name value than true value, but that doesn’t make it a bad return — especially when you consider that, if this market has a lot of anything, it’s relievers.

Buttó, 27, has logged 163 innings since the start of the 2023 season, along the way notching a 125 ERA+ and a 1.90 strikeout-to-walk ratio. It’s not always pretty, but give him credit for generating results. He’s leaned into his slider this season, allowing him to generate more than 50% ground balls for the first time in his big-league career. He remains an effective innings sponge, too, having recorded at least four outs in 19 of his 34 appearances. Maybe the Giants see a little something more in Buttó than meets the eye. Shy of that, he’ll probably spend a couple seasons in San Francisco as a utility arm until his costs start to climb beyond what they’re OK paying.

Tidwell, 24, has appeared in four games (starting two of them) since making his big-league debut in May. He’s not fared well, surrendering 15 runs on 23 hits across 15 innings, but it’s such a small sample as to be meaningless. Tidwell is a supinator, a fancy way of writing that he pitches around the ball rather than through it, allowing him a broader arsenal than the average bear. Sure enough, he’s thrown at least six pitches 5% of the time this season, including a standout sweeper and nothing that grades as truly subpar per the pitch-grade models. 

Alas, Tidwell has battled his command throughout his career (he walked nearly five batters per nine in each of his first two full pro seasons), meaning that the Giants will have to help him find the plate more often to maximize his upside as a starter. Shy of that, he could — and probably will, based on how these things often go — have a future as a reliever with some late-game upside.

Gilbert, 25 come late September, was part of the payout the Mets received on Justin Verlander a few deadlines ago. He’s spent most of this season in Triple-A, hitting .246/.349/.435 with 12 home runs, three stolen bases, and a nasty platoon split. (He’s posted an .870 OPS against righties, versus a .557 mark when opposed by a lefty.) Scouts have adored his hustle dating back to his Tennessee days, but it’s probably fair to forecast him as a platoon outfielder type at the game’s highest level. Gilbert has to be added to the 40-player roster this winter to avoid Rule 5 draft eligibility, which is another one of those secret variables that explain who gets traded when.

Getting three potential big-league contributors for the price of one seems like good math. Ultimately, though, how this deal looks a few years down the road — if it’s a win or just an understandable piece of past business — rests on Tidwell’s development as a starting pitcher.