One starting pitcher added, another subtracted.

Jason Vargas had told friends in recent weeks he was hoping to get traded, and Monday he received his wish when the Mets dealt the veteran left-hander to the Phillies for minor league catcher Austin Bossart. The move came a day after the Mets acquired right-hander Marcus Stroman from the Blue Jays.

An industry source confirmed the Mets will send $2.9 million to the Phillies in the transaction. But the Mets will still save about $2 million overall in something of a salary dump.

Vargas’ departure won’t curtail the Mets’ attempts to deal Noah Syndergaard or Zack Wheeler before Wednesday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline, according to club sources. But the Mets would have to be “blown awayz’ to deal Syndergaard, who remains under club control through 2021. Wheeler is an impending free agent.

Bossart was batting .195 at Double-A Reading but has thrown out 36.4% of base runners in his minor league career. Bossart played collegiately at Penn, where he was a teammate of team COO Jeff Wilpon’s son, Bradley.

Vargas was 6-5 with a 4.01 ERA in 19 appearances for the Mets this season. The club held an option on him for next season worth $8 million. But there was a $2 million buyout.

“[Vargas] is a valuable piece of what we’re doing right now, he’s been pitching rather well all season,” manager Mickey Callaway said following Vargas’ start against the Pirates on Sunday. “He is a leader and he’s out there for every pitch of the game. He’s a pro’s pro and I’m glad he’s on our team.”

Last month Vargas was involved in a confrontation with a reporter in the visiting clubhouse at Wrigley Field. The pitcher threatened to “knock you the f–k out, bro,” and had to be restrained by teammates from going after the reporter. The incident began when Vargas questioned why the reporter — who had been cursed out by Callaway for saying “see you tomorrow, Mickey” following a tough loss — was staring at him. Vargas later declined to apologize for his behavior.

Vargas pitched to disastrous results in the first half of last season after arriving on a two-year contract worth $16 million but earned a measure of redemption in the final two months before helping solidify the Mets’ rotation in 2019. He will join a Phillies team that entered Monday only one game removed from the NL’s second wild-card berth.

The Mets were also active with the Phillies at last year’s trade deadline, sending infielder Asdrubal Cabrera to Philadelphia for minor league pitcher Franklyn Kilome, who has been sidelined this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.