Mets acquire reliever Font from Rays

SAN DIEGO -- Seeking pitching help for both an injury-plagued rotation and bullpen, the Mets made a trade on Monday, acquiring right-handed reliever Wilmer Font from the Rays for cash or a player to be named later. Font will join the team Tuesday in San Diego, with the Mets set to make a corresponding move at that time.

Font, 28, posted a 5.79 ERA in 10 games with the Rays, striking out 18 batters in 14 innings. He offers another hard-throwing option for a Mets bullpen that entered Monday’s play ranking 24th in the Majors with a 4.81 ERA, and that finished 28th in that category a year ago. Two of the Mets’ top five relievers -- Jeurys Familia and Justin Wilson -- are on the injured list.

Also capable of starting, Font did so five times for the Rays last season, excelling in that role with a 1.71 ERA but maxing out at 80 pitches. His arsenal includes five pitch types, highlighted by a hard slider and a curveball that dips into the mid-70s. Font’s fastball sits in the mid-90s, topping out at 97.

“Big arm,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. “It sounds like he’s had some success as a starter, but the stuff is premium.”

In the short-term, Font offers the Mets’ pitching staff both health and stability. The team’s rotation depth has shriveled in recent weeks, and it’s possible both Steven Matz (nerve irritation in his left arm) and Jason Vargas (left hamstring tightness) will miss their next starts. Font, along with Corey Oswalt, are among the options to replace them, Callaway confirmed. Font can also offer middle-innings relief help, with Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman shifting to higher-leverage roles.

Given the Mets’ pitching injuries, the team has been looking for help outside the organization for several weeks. In recent days, Font became a realistic option as the Rays tried to shuffle multiple arms on and off their roster.

Breaking into the Majors with the Rangers in 2012, Font has bounced to the Dodgers, A’s, Rays and now the Mets. He is out of Minor League options, forcing the Mets to add him to their Major League roster. To make room on their 40-man, the team shifted Yoenis Cespedes to the 60-day injured list.