The Mets kicked off what’s likely to be a deadline sell-off last night, sending David Robertson to Miami. It’d seemed a long time in the making with New York unable to get above .500 but still marked a symbolic blow for a team that entered the year with championship aspirations.
How aggressively New York will retool the roster remains to be seen. Short-term veterans like Tommy Pham, Brooks Raley and Mark Canha seem likely to move within the next few days. There’s been increasing chatter about a pair of much bigger names: Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.
After his start tonight, Scherzer spoke with the New York beat about his future (relayed by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). While he conceded the roster “put (itself) in this position” by not playing up to expectations, he noted his disappointment with the club’s situation. Regarding both whether he still had confidence in the team to compete in 2023 and his longer-term future with the organization, Scherzer said he was likely to speak with the front office about the club’s direction.
Scherzer declined to say whether he’d be willing to waive his no-trade rights. However, he seemed to tip his hand regarding the $43.333MM player option in his contract for next season. The three-time Cy Young winner said he’s “not going to be a free agent,” distinguishing this from the 2021 deadline when Scherzer waived his no-trade clause to go from the Nationals to the Dodgers three months before free agency.
The star hurler didn’t directly say he was a lock to opt in to next season. His contract with Washington didn’t have any option years, so there was no question he was headed to free agency that winter. Between his no-trade rights and player options, Scherzer has the ability to ensure he’s a Met in 2024. He added he “can see a path to contend next year” with New York but noted that’s pending a conversation with team brass.
Scherzer’s comments surely won’t quiet speculation about the chances of another deadline blockbuster. Yet they’re far from ensuring a move will happen. Even if Scherzer were willing to waive his no-trade rights, the Mets would need to find a deal they consider tenable. Andy Martino of SNY wrote this afternoon the Mets were finding more interest in Verlander of the two pitchers.
Both are making a record annual salary north of $43MM. Verlander is under guaranteed contract next season and has a vesting player option for 2025. Scherzer owns a 4.01 ERA through 107 2/3 innings. He’s striking hitters out at a quality 27.3% clip and limiting walks but has struggled with home runs.
All due respect to a future HOFer – but team has badly underperformed. If they can get decent return for expiring contracts, that’s smart business
10cent…To get a decent return they would first have to find a team willing to take on his contract. His new team would only have to pay part of this year’s salary, which still has to be quite a bit. His current contract basically gives him very little flexibility as to finding a new team.
He wanted to be the highest paid player in baseball. He did it so future generations of multi millionaires would be able to put food on the table. And it’s that contract plus his performance which is why nobody wants him anymore.
You make your bed folks. You gotta sleep in it.
@King. Somebody is going to get that money. I don’t know why I would feel better about it going to some DIFFERENT very wealthy person.
Plus his performance? He’s 20-9 with a 3.02 ERA with the Mets. with most of his advanced metrics within range of his younger years. He gives up homers, yes, but he has always done that. Pitchers who know how to stay around the plate often do. The contract is outrageous, especially for a guy who will turn 40 in 2024, but who could blame Max for signing it? So, he may not be quite as dominant as vintage Scherzer, but he’s winning at a .690 pace. He’s not the reason the Mets are a sub-.500 team.
Goose hit the nail squarely on the head.
Why would you quote his stats from his entire tenure there and ignore the most recent season. He’s 40 years old he’s hit a wall and he’s washed up. The stats say this.
Scherzer is 38, not 40 and his 103 ERA+ suggests he is having a slightly above average season compared to the rest of the league. Slightly above average in todays game gets you $20M a year. If Cohen were to throw in $46M to cover the excess salary over what his current performance suggests he is worth through 2024, then maybe they find a taker .
So you agree with me?
Because that’s basically what I said dude…..
Above average is the opposite of washed up.
Suggest Mr Eppler call his ex mates in Anaheim who apparently are going all in. Scherzer and $46 M for about the same as they got for Robertson, two of their top 20 or so prospects.
Angels are going all in this year. They don’t want Scherzer next year.
He is exactly the type of superstar player Moreno wants. Especially with Ohtani possibly leaving. Moreno has been far more interested in filling the stands by signing or trading for former superstars than actually putting a winning team on the field. Scherzer fills that to a t.
The money is either going to the player or the team owner. Both are very wealthy.
Yes of course. I’m assuming in the case of a Scherzer that Cohen would pay significant portion of his remaining contract to get a better return. The expiring contacts are Pham, Ottavino, Cahna, Carrasco right? Ok can’t expect much for those names, but who knows? Maybe some team values them enough to give their #20-#30 type prospect. Unlikely – but weirder stuff has happened
You are talking eating 30 million at least for no return at all. Scherzer looks washed up
The money is already spent. Not a problem for Vohen to eat it.
He sure hasn’t looked the same since his suspension.
Millionaire HOFers. Sad but true. Give me many better pitchers of the 50’s and 60’s who didn’t make the HOF. The HOF select committees are POLITICAL also
Cohen to Max: We are trading you because you are bad and part of the problem.
I’d say he’s average now, not bad. In his case, overpaid and suddenly mortal on the mound.
Good assessment
The whole professional sports industry is about to go BUST. They are NOT sustainable in today POOR economy. Personally I hope Schuerzer and Verlander and the rest of the GREEDY BUMS go bust also. Everyone is pricing themselves out of business. Just like the consumer and national debt
It couldn’t happen to better people
Lol Mets – good luck finishing with a losing record and a 400 MM payroll (a feat that may take generations to replicate)
I love baseball! This further proves you can’t buy victories and teams that win the offseason don’t usually win the regular season.
The Mets should have invested 100 million in their development program. Implement analytics, physical therapy, nutrition, sports psychology, and sobriety programs down in the minors. Then we’d have relevant baseball in the largest market for a whole generation and help us get more kids into the game.
But noooo, why be smart when you can sell that Yankee or Mets emblem for a premium, regardless of performance.
Good luck getting fair value for Scherzer, Verlander, and Pham!
@Ejemp2006: How do you know the organization is not investing in its development program?
That happens to be exactly what it’s doing. It will, however, take a few years to bear fruit.
Yeah last year the Texas Rangers spent 165 million in payroll and lost 94 games, so this sort of helps people to forget that shame.
Teams that win without spending are the exception. Look at the last 20 years. Nearly 80% of playoff teams were at the top in spending.
The Mets have spent big on free agents so they didn’t have to trade away their farm system. They nearly doubled the size of their player development and analytics staff in the minors. You don’t get results from that immediately, but you do build an organization that can compete long term. Do you know who else did that? The Dodgers when bought by a hedge fund owner kind of like Cohen.
You’re talking sense to people who ignore facts. He’s trying to emulate what they did by upping the payroll for now and rebuilding the org including the farm system. But this is MLBTR comments section so there’s mostly nothing here but 12 year old front running trolls.
Last, but not least, stars attract kids to the game.
Max and his dead arm can stay in NY
I find it so odd that you continue to lash out at the Mets over spending when your franchise has doled out several similarly absurd contracts over the last few offseasons. I assume then, that you felt great about things last year when you won 68 games with a bunch of over-inflated contracts on the books? How’s that deGrom contract going so far by the way? Have the Rangers won that World series Championship yet, ever???
This websites comments have have turned into a dumpster fire of 12 year olds in the near 20 years since I’ve been reading it. I come for the reporting now, not these teenagers who change their usernames on the regular and claim to be fans of teams one year and another the next. It’s nothing new and funny how they forget their teams have never ever won. Actually, it’s typical since they just became fans of said team. In fact this same poster was claiming to be a Mets fan in the past. And the other poster who obviously doesn’t realize they’ve dumped plenty of resources in building the organization back up and are only spending all this cash to compete now while they rebuild the org long term. Trying to emulate LAD who were in an awful place thanks to the McCourts. Now I’m not saying it will 100% work, but as a Mets fan I love seeing smaller market teams or teams who’ve never won a WS finally start to win. It’s great for baseball and the uninformed “fans” (aka prepubescent front runners) on this dumpster fire of a website really just aren’t worth reading anymore. This isn’t “triggered.” It’s a man who’s pretty sad for the state of a site that pioneered internet baseball reporting.
Scherzer wants to have conversations. He says that eighteen times (slight exaggeration).
STL bound
No thank you
He took the money. And if he was pitching like a 43 million a year pitcher instead of a back end guy maybe the Mets are a legit contender.
Thank you, King of Cards, thank you… I wish Max would just get lost already. He was the most integral part of why and how we blew the division and the postseason series against the Padres last year and he’s here talking about having a conversation with the front office like he’s got somewhere else to go. I really don’t care about getting a return for him, I think the Mets are better off just giving him to whoever wants him.
mlb.com/news/mlb-executives-discuss-2023-trade-dea…
Not only would he have to waive his no-trade clause but, even more unlikely, they’d have to get something in return! They’re stuck with these guys
A blue marble and brown marble and salary relief in exchange for Max. Max fans will understand.
For Love,
Eye see what you did there.
Yep, you’d have to be losing your marbles to trade for Scherzer at this stage.
If the Mets pay Scherzer down to the minimum salary, and pay 95 percent of next year’s salary there are probably 20 teams that would pony up a team top ten prospect. Scherzer is still a solid number 2 pitcher who on the open market is worth 12 to 15 million for 2024 and guys like that are hard to get on a one year deal. I think he will be playing for the Mets next year though.
You figure you can get the Oakland A’s or Kansas City Royals to take on his salary so that he can be their #2? If you hope to win in the playoffs you’re in trouble if he’s your #2. He’s the #2 on the Mets, which makes sense as they’re in a glorious competition with the Nationals for dead last
Yeti
I said 20 teams. You were clever enough to pick two of the teams among the roughly ten that would be likely to decline, Las Vegas and Kansas City. Then again, Las Vegas is cheap enough that they might ship a prospect out to get Scherzer next year at minimum salary.
@manny – I doubt the Mets are going to pay $40M+ in order to land a top ten prospect. In this case, they may as well just keep him and hope for the best, or that he becomes delusional and opts out.
@Manny – I highly doubt the Mets are going to pay down all but the league minimum of Scherzer’s contract. They might pay 1/2 of it to get a better prospect, but I can’t see them paying his full freight, especially for next season’s $43M option. It would be much more reasonable if they paid $23M of it. The prospect return is not going to be a Top 100 player regardless of how much Cohen agrees to pay down. Max is at the end of his career and no team is going to give up a top prospect for maybe 1 more decent year out of an aging pitcher (albeit a great one).
This has nothing to do with nothing but I am watching the Yankees Orioles game right now and these Orioles uniforms are the ugliest things I have ever seen. I love the traditional uniforms but these things are hideous.
Most of the “City Connect” uniforms are monstrosities.
Yeah watching the Diamondbacks game now and those are pretty ugly too. And the Padres ones are awful.
I must say nothing was more exciting than the end of the Cubs and Cardinals game tonight. Wow! (Sorry)
A cubs/cards -where the game is guaranteed to have drama. And it started yesterday when Mikolas threw at Ian Happ.
Yeah, I felt really bad for Contreras but no one could think Happ did that on purpose.
If some how Cubs become Sellers maybe Happ available same with Gomes,Mancini.
Happ signed an extension back in May. Maybe before that. He also has a no trade clause.
Great rivalries transcend the standings and W-L percentages.
Well, at least they are basic black mostly. The Nationals’ CC unis have…cherry blossoms on them. Nothing says aggressive baseball more than…cherry blossoms.
The cherry blossom unis are clean man idk what you’re on about lol
Red Sox and Padres are the worst imo
What’s interesting is that the Padres CC jerseys are the best selling by far. God awful ugly and beat selling. Who would thought of that combination.
Yup they are atrocious
King of Cards is right! Mets shuffled the
deck, but couldn’t draw any ACES!
I feel like you might be biased but you know what? So am I lol.
Yeah but Mets are playing with bank money.
It’s a little absurd. And by eating money, they’re essentially buying a farm system.
Reminds me of putting the infinite $ cheat code into the sims. Sure, it was fun for a while but ultimately unfulfilling.
Mets are doing what the Dodgers did when the Guggenheim hedge fund owner bought them.
And it seems to have worked for them.
I’m likely in the minority here, but it was more enjoyable to watch the 2013-2016 Mets than it has been to see if the daddies have truly begun the age-related decline. The starling marte mystery ailment. The Jeff mcneil collapse. The slow transformation of Francisco lindor into statistical irrelevance. Etc etc.
It started with the lindor trade, which I think was made with an eye towards marketability rather than baseball ability. The old aces shouldn’t have happened, as you’re incredibly likely to be paying for past performance. Outside of that, there’s just chronic underperformance throughout. I don’t know what happened or why, but watching games isn’t interesting.
Hopefully they stick with the plan of building a pipeline. Hopefully.
Lindor is on pace for his 2nd straight 5 WAR season. He is far from statistical irrelevance.
Really great point, thanks.
Time to resign that lease, you ain’t going nowhere.
And re-sign it as well.
Mets are stuck with Max.
How about an Angels prospect or two and some combination of Tyler Anderson, David Fletcher, and/or Gio Urshela contracts for Scherzer?
Certainly risky for the Angels but hey, as long as Arte and Perry are going all in…
Mets wanted aces but drew a pair of fours.
“Sailboats” seems appropriate for where these 2 pitcher’s careers are at!
Pair of 4s ain’t bad man.
We’re looking at a 5, J, offsuit.
Scherzer never wanted to come here in the first place, he hates NY. People seem to forget that at the 2021 trade deadline, reports came out that he REFUSED to waive his no trade clause to come to the Mets. In the offseason, as the head of the players association, he got offered 3 years 120 million dollars. He was basically forced to except the contract as a way of establishing a new market for starting top tier pitchers, even if he didn’t want to come here in the first place. The optics would of looked bad for him. No one was going to give him anything near that amount anyway. I also want to include some ancedotel information as well. On Old Timers day last year, while he was warming up on the field jogging backwards, the whole crowd was chanting his name during practice. He didnt agknowledge the fans at all, yawned, and then kept on jogging backwards. Now every other week I hear about him discussing his future with the Mets. The writing has been on the wall since day 1, he wants out and nothing to do with the Mets. I’d never spend 120 mil on someone who doesn’t want to be here, no matter how good of a player he is
But what do you think about Drew Smith?
@raisinsss hes one of the worst relievers in the game, iv been saying this for 5+
years already. Always blows a close game without fail
His future with the Mets: Collect the $43.333MM owed to him in 2024, and then he’ll move on.
To a very luxurious retirement.
Scherzer’s contract is horrendous. The Mets would have to eat tens of millions in cash to move him.
Ok read it correctly….he’s not going anywhere cuz Cohen isn’t eating money just to make Max happy. That’s the reality. Cohen won’t pay to lose an asset- that’s the difference. Guys line Escobar/Robertson aren’t assets cuz they aren’t here next year.
A very expensive asset. At 43+ a season how many everyday impact players can be had? Remember he pitches once every five games and plays in 2/3 of that game. Kind of like buying a car with 300k on the clock for new car prices. How many team owners tried to purchase a team to find out their high priced F/A didn’t play well together?
See, that is the thing. Cohen doesn’t care how much money he is spending. Having Scherzer and his salary on the squad will not keep Cohen from spending another $43 million on more players. Not one bit.
Won’t happen, but would love to see the Angels go all in and acquire Scherzer and Verlander to pair with Ohtani and Giolito.
I called it that Senga would be the #1 arm in this rotation and everyone gave me grief about it.
Lol Mets,
Max is mad now that the fat lady has sung and he is irrelevant but he isn’t stupid and will not be walking away from his guaranteed 2024 $ 43.33 MM. As the Union leader that he is, he is demanding a sit down with Steve Cohen about the state of affairs.
What a mess the Mets are with incompetents running the team and it appears that there are clubhouse issues galore with the massively overpaid and underperforming prima donnas. CitiField will once again be Citi Morgue the final 60 Games.
He can feel how he wants a the big reason they are where they are is his terrible job pitching, going deep in games, random injuries, and ten day suspension for cheating. He hasn’t gelled with the Mets in his one and a half years and I think that will be the best option for all if they can figure out a trade.
What? He’s been great for the Mets. Look at the numbers. He gets killed in losses, 30% of starts and shines the other 70%.
Mets 4-5-6 starters and injuries are the reason the team is in the state its in.
The Mets tried to buy a contender in the offseason and majorly overspent including the contracts for Verlander and Scherzer. A huge disappointment for Mets fans I’m sure.
Scherzer isn’t going anywhere. Verlander isn’t going anywhere. Quintana isn’t going anywhere. There isn’t enough top shelf starting pitching in next years free agent class to take a chance on losing one of those guys, and we still have to replace Carrasco. They will make a push for Ohtani for that, but there is no indication that he’d come to NY, or even leave the Angels. There are only about 3 guys on the starting market next year that I’d even consider close to top of the rotation guys. It’s just not happening.
Any other manager would have these guys safely in the playoffs. If Buck was still in Baltimore, the same team would be 20 games behind Tampa.
Poor Mets, poor Max.
This is why Steve Cohen is going to be the most hated man in baseball.
Mets fans are rooting for a bad team that is so overppaid, they literally can’t reshuffle the deck for next year without aelling-off the few good pieces they have now.
The players are frustrated because you can’t add at the deadline due to being so far in the red and you are also the cautionary tale of players making too much money.
Other fans have watched the Mets set unrealistic payroll standards that are adversely affecting the product on the field for other teams as they adjust economically.
Scherzer and Verlander are probably pretty frustrated and rightfully so, but so is their team and their fans. Scherzer and Verlander wanted to chase stupid contracts, so be it.
I’m never going to know how this will affect Ohtani directly and I don’t think we ever will collectively, but there’s no way these $40M/yr deals don’t leave potential suitors worried about crossing that line.
You are under the mistaken idea that there is some level of spending that the Mets just won’t go over. That they have a budget they have to stay under. That is not the case.
Cohen spent big on FA to preserve his farm system and build it up. He will have no problem eating salaries if better players come up because money is not an issue.
The only issue for Cohen is building a sustainable winning team as quickly as possible.
He is following the Dodgers model after McCourt. The problem for the Mets is that the mess left by the Wilpons was much deeper than the one in LA.