7:36PM: The Braves have also “checked” on Verlander but aren’t currently in talks with the Mets, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweets.
5:50PM: Following the Mets’ trade of Max Scherzer to the Rangers led to further increased speculation about a trade of fellow high-priced, multi-time Cy Young winner Justin Verlander. Several teams have been tied to the nine-time All-Star, including the Rangers, Astros and Dodgers. However, Andy Martino of SNY reports that the Mets value Verlander much differently than Scherzer. They’ve placed a higher asking price in terms of prospects and aren’t willing to pay down salary to the same extent they were in order to move Scherzer.
Astros fans may be hoping for a reunion with Verlander, who won his third career Cy Young Award in Houston last season, but it doesn’t appear that’s likely. Astros GM Dana Brown tells Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that his team isn’t in the market for a starting pitcher right now and is instead focused more on the back of the bullpen and a left-handed bat (Twitter link). Per Martino, the Astros indeed checked in on Verlander, but the teams were “nowhere close” to agreeing on his value.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale hears similarly, writing that while Houston and New York have indeed discussed a Verlander deal, an Astros source tells him they’d likely require the Mets to pay down a “significant” portion of Verlander’s salary this year and next. Verlander’s $35MM vesting option for the 2025 season, which triggers upon reaching 140 innings pitched next year, is another hang-up in a potential deal. All of that complicates a potential Verlander/Astros reunion, which clouds the water on a trade in general. Like Scherzer, Verlander has a full no-trade clause — and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes that the Astros are “perhaps” the team for which he’s most willing to waive that protection.
Broadly speaking, everything will hinge on Verlander’s preferences. Via SNY’s Steve Gelbs (Twitter link, with video), the 40-year-old righty said following Sunday’s game that his openness to a trade “largely depends on how the organization views next year,” adding that he’s “committed to trying to win a championship” in Queens but would be more open to waiving his no-trade protection if Mets decision-makers feel it’s best to take a step back in 2024. The Mets will have plenty of rotation questions with Scherzer now in Arlington and Carlos Carrasco hitting free agency at season’s end. Presently, Verlander, Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana are the only surefire starters signed into 2024. Depth options like David Peterson, Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi and Jose Butto all remain on hand as well.
Early indications are that the Mets don’t view this as a large-scale teardown. GM Billy Eppler plainly said after yesterday’s Scherzer trade that he does not view the current step back as a rebuild (link via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com) They’ll have ample financial firepower to pursue new arms to fill out the rotation in the offseason — with a particularly deep crop of free agent starters available. Shohei Ohtani, Julio Urias, Lucas Giolito, Aaron Nola, Blake Snell, Sonny Gray, Marcus Stroman, Jordan Montgomery and NPB ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto are among the names in the upcoming class of free agent arms.
The Mets already have nearly $220MM in guaranteed money on next year’s books, per Roster Resource — a number that includes the $26.833MM they’ll pay Scherzer. (Texas is picking up a reported $16.5MM of next year’s salary.) That’s before factoring in Brooks Raley’s $6.5MM club option or arbitration raises for a group of ten players, headlined by first baseman Pete Alonso. Owner Steve Cohen trotted out a record payroll of more than $350MM this season, so clearly the capacity for spending is there — it’ll just be a matter of whether the Mets want to spend to that extent again after this year’s efforts fell flat in notable fashion. Trading Verlander would radically lower that 2024 financial outlay, but it’d also only create another hole that the Mets would likely need to fill in the rotation (likely via free agency).
For now, they’ll have about 48 hours to see if anyone’s willing to meet their asking price on Verlander — and then to gauge whether the right-hander is amenable to the deal.
Dodgers,Reds would have what the Mets would want,
Yes I agree. I think the Dodgers will give it a try. The Dodgers need pitching help in the worst way and they always have money.
The Dodgers already got pitching help in the worst way. They traded for Lynn!
Lol yeah they get rid of Syndegaard it’s like ok that makes sense then replace him with Lynn.
The Dodgers have shockingly bad pitching for being such a good team. The need is clear as can be.
@stym – yes, they got Lynn in the worst way.
dodgers window is slowly closing.
many of their players that got them to those World Series are gone and the pitchers left are injured.
And they have the talent. Mets need Dodgers top 2 pitching prospects at a minimum.
@Mac Attack
Which would be Miller and Sheehan.
Which…hahahahaha……
LOL
Verlander is definitely a gamer, especially in October so any team able to add him to their playoff roster would almost certainly increase their WS chances. Asking for a team’s top 2 pitching prospects in return for 2+ years of a veteran SP and with the playoff resume JV has, isn’t necessarily asking too much with most organizations. Asking for the same from an organization like the Dodgers with the level of minor league talent they have, isn’t apples to apples by any stretch. The Mets could probably offer to pay his entire salary going forward and I still couldn’t possibly see the Dodgers including both Miller AND Sheehan for a 40 yr old SP. I think Miller is as close to untouchable as possible for a Dodgers Pitching Prospect/Rookie.
Moving on to a realistic topic…
When the Cubs announced themselves as “non-sellers” and Giolitto was traded, the SP market quickly became underwhelming. Scherzer is another gamer and a splash move for Tex, but there’s no way the Dodgers would have gone down that road again. With all that said, I like what the Dodgers have done to this point. They filled 2 needs on the pitching side and added platoon depth. If the team can get healthy/healthier over the next couple months, that could potentially (hopefully) be like a second trade deadline and put the team in a really good position heading into the final month or so of the regular season! That seems like a big “if” this season, but I like our chances!
Having players like Betts/Freeman and this season with Smith/JD Martinez definitely make it easy to be optimistic about the playoffs and the team’s chances to make a WS run. Go Dodgers!!!!
Dodgers arms make the most sense. They also have the $.
Reds won’t spend the $ even with only an $83 miĺlion payroll.
The Reds would spend the money, but I don’t think they would spend money and prospect capital for a 40 year old pitcher, nor should they.
Alexis Díaz would have to be going the other way and the Mets are not going to pay Verlander’s salary down the way they paid Scherzer’s.
lol that’s so silly…. It’s basically the equivalent to me saying the Mets would have to include Alvarez in a deal…. It’s simply not realistic…. The Reds are not going to trade a top 3 closer with 5 years of control for a 40 year pitcher with less than 2 years….
Why would the Reds give up their closer when they are in 1st place? Mets fans live in a fantasy world.
Remember 25 mil comes off payroll next year as club won’t exercise Votto option…also, Kroll said the increased attendance this year gives them more financial flexibility…and they have too many infield prospects…can’t play em all…I say they get Verlander and Canha with a package that includes Noelvi Marte, Petty and a few other
Oh, they absolutely might. If they think Diaz is due for some regression, if their FO has a mistrust of relievers generally, if they think Verlander is a ‘missing piece,’ if the Mets are willing to pay down more of Verlander’s salary than they’re currently admitting, if the Reds FO thinks their window is smaller than we do, if their revenue projections ‘require’ a postseason appearance in 2024, if they think x or y can largely compensate for Diaz’s departure…
It doesn’t take much to tip the balance. Just a small series of calculations or miscalculations…
Yep I guess you could say the Mets may also be willing to deal Alvarez for Diaz too….
IF they feel his brothers not on track to return next year or they feel Frankies due for some regression & hey maybe they could just buy another one in the offseason & don’t value catchers….
Again silly & not realistic just as the Reds trading Diaz for less than Alvarez to the Mets is not realistic…
This Reds window reminds me of the last period of relevant Royals baseball. If they get a big game pitcher, then they could be a real threat to win a championship this year or next. The Reds need a James Shields or Johnny Ceuto type before anyone will take them serious.
I don’t think they have the guts to get Verlander nor do I think he’d waive his no trade clause to be in Cincinnati, but it’d be a nice signal to young club if they pulled it off.
I’m sure the Reds would like to go back in time and reverse the Castillo trade. He would put them over the top. As a M’s fan, and watching Luis pitch every 5th day, he’s one of the most impressive pitchers I’ve ever seen. In our short history Randy is #1, Felix #2 and I’d easily put Castillo #3.
Considering no one in that deal is helping out the big club right now (and honestly superfluous)…in a second.
I’d like to see Votto in the playoffs, a division series. The franchise player is finally surrounded by good, young talent.
He has a 140 inning pitched next season that automatically triggers a third year
Unless offer is nuts, NYM should keep him. To the eye test, has more in the tank than Scherzer. Expect cohen to go after a couple of those listed SP FA names. No way will they go into 2024 with “Peterson or Megill will be our #5.” Fans will mutiny. Still amazing Megill (mostly) no hit PHI last season
If the fans haven’t mutinied with the way this year has gone, they are not going to. Its not like rooting for the Yanks will provide more solace.
If Mets aren’t happy the Wilpons are gone, then they just don’t want to be happy. Tough season, but they’ve got to be pleased they have an owner who spends to win.
Enough on Verlander. If teams wanted him they would have gotten him. Let him stay a Met. He is washed up.
Would you like to attempt to explain how he’s “washed up” or nah?
He’s 40 years old. At some point, that bubble is gonna burst. I just as soon the Mets be stuck with that contract when it does.
Why does the bubble have to burst in the next two years? Nolan Ryan was effective into his late 40’s. Roger Clemens led the league in ERA at 42. I think his contract is less risky then all of these ten plus year contracts everyone is giving out.
Is Verlander using steroids? If not, the Clemens comp is pointless.
@texgal01 you don’t know ball
Yeah those last 6 starts have been awful – 1.46 ERA and all.
His era in last six starts is 1.73. I hope he stays and competes for another Cy Young, even though the experts know he’s done.
Verlander is not going get a cy young and you can county on that
You can’t let a lefty like Raley go, Verlander makes more sense. You can patch things up in the off season. Mets put themselves in a no win situation
I can guarantee San Diego moving Hader, with Suarez back. Bigger problem is how bad Kim is hurt
Most valuable player on the team
Guarantee Hader on the move, eh? I definitely do not think so… but yes, hopefully Kim’s shoulder is ok. Never dive on a play at the plate! Yikes
The Padres are all in, as they should be. The unluckiest team in the National League. Things are starting to roll in their favor.
I guarantee you are wrong.
What’s your rationale for that ?
No reason the Mets should have to pay down any of Verlanders salary.
Sure they do if they want any notable player(s) in return as JV is not pitching like a $43MM pitcher.
Just don’t let the Astros take him.
I still think the Giants are in the mix depending on the types of prospects they want.
Rays,Orioles to.
I feel like they’re both more in the camp of needing the Mets to eat a lot of the money. Really they both have such rich farm systems that as long as the Mets don’t want anything absolutely insane, they both have the capital to get a deal done.
Scherzer made sense to move because he’s struggled a lot. Per the Athletic, his velocity is the lowest it’s been in nine years, spin rate is the lowest it’s ever been, etc. The homers could be somewhat fluky, but I don’t think so.
Verlander has still been great and I would bet on him performing better than Scherzer next year, too. Unless the Mets are blown away by an offer, they should keep Verlander. As the article notes, they only have three starters set for next year, and that’s assuming neither of them get injured over the next few months.
imo, only Pham, Canha, Ottavino, and Raley are likely to be traded from the Mets this year. I would only trade Pham if I were the Mets. They should talk to Ottavino, if there’s a feeling he’ll decline his player option for next season, I’d trade him as well. Canha and Raley can contribute next season, unless they get good offers for either of them.
the thinking for next year might be Raley taking Robertson’s place in the BP when Diaz comes back. Diaz’s injury hurt the Mets a lot more than most have thought.
Agreed. I didn’t think it would have such a major effect on the BP considering they’d signed Robertson, but it definitely has. Raley has pitched well enough to make his club option for next year a no-brainer.
Diaz injury was a back breaker. They would have at least ten more wins with the bullpen pitching in their right roles.
Trumpet Guy’s favorite Met couldn’t prevent that final-week collapse vs. Atlanta nor the capitulation vs. San Diego.
But did the Mets win 101 games with him? Was he the best reliever in baseball?
I don’t know about that. Eppler decided to go with optionable arms, most of them talentless, and made zero effort to at least shore up the bullpen after Diaz’s injury.
The loss of Lugo, the regression of Drew Smith, and the innings that Trevor Williams ate up are all factors that have contributed to the Mets current bullpen woes.
I believe Canha is a free agent after the year is up, and personally will be glad to see him go. As for Verlander, if the offer is a top prospect that is AA or higher (preferably a pitcher), I’d have to seriously consider it, along with minimal cash being moved. The pitching market will be plentiful and the diff from this year will be ~$130M. Granted there will be arb $$$, but after that, they have there choice of players. Other than a solid DH, I think the offense will get better provided folks are healthy and Buck doesn’t keep playing guys like Vog in key hitting spots. McNeil also needs to go back being the utility player he was. There’s some retooling, but I think they learned their lesson. Don’t put ~25% of your payroll on two pitchers 39+, spread it out, and make sure you have folks that can hit after the 4th hitter in the order.
Agree with pretty much everything here. Canha does have a team option for next year at $11.5 million, with a buyout of $2 million. Considering Marte’s struggles, I would exercise Canha’s option at essentially $9.5 million. However, if they receive a good offer, trade him.
Stop laughing Stevie ao I can squeeze an LOL in as well.
The Mets will no doubt spend a lot of money again in free agency this winter, but Sonny Gray won’t be signing with them. He has made it known he did not enjoy his time in NYC when he was with the Yankees.
If Verlander stays in the NL and finishes the year out with this flame streak, then he’s a dark horse Cy Young candidate. Only Gallen and Strider are doing much to seperate.
Why would the Mets eat any of Verlander’s salary? What would his services be worth on the open market if he keeps pitching like his all time great self?
Logan Webb says hello.
Dark horse cy young guy could be Braves Bryce elder he maybe Atlantas best overall pitcher and he is beating good teams.
Like the Diamondbacks and Rays? He’s not even close to being as good as Strider.
@Ejemp2006
Aside from the ‘dark horse Cy Young candidate” idea, which is really pretty remarkable, the Mets would need to eat because Verlander’s deal–should he throw 140 innings next year–includes a vesting option for ’25, Verlander’s year-42 season. That cliff arrives suddenly at that age, which is why Uncle Stevie offered it; because he’s willing to dramatically overpay for production prior to that fall.
No way a team takes that deal on in total, especially after the Mets themselves just established the going rate for off-loading insanely compensated 40-plus-year-old former Cy Young winners……
I don’t think its unreasonable to expect Verlander to be a top tier pitcher through his age 45 season, like Nolan Ryan. Verlander’s work ethic is historic and each time Verlander has been injured, he’s come back with an improved understanding for the art of pitching and maintaining his body for peak performance.
Also, this is a business and people pay to see him pitch.
Wheeler, Steele, there are plenty of pitchers ahead of Verlander. Mets fans are delusional.
Logan Webb. Zac Gallen
About to offer Ohtani 1/2 a billion this offseason.
Unfortunately, that offer will not come close to getting it done…
Ohtani is set to get $600 plus million, better chance it is closer $650 million than a half-billion.
Irrelevant.
The Mets FO believes Ohtani loves the west coast and the Angels situation in particular.
The man will play where and for whom he wants to play. He’s the most well-known professional team athlete in the world today. The money will be there.
Ohtani doesn’t make 30 starts a year anyways so he is great but can’t pencil him in for a full time starters work load.
Earth to Samuel: Ohtani is not as well known as Cristiano Ronaldo, especially outside Japan and North America.
Messi?
Or Lionel Messi or LeBron. Ohtani isn’t even in the top 25 in the world. People I know who don’t watch baseball has never even heard of him.
Baseball players are never on those “most famous athlete lists, which is unfortunate but understandable. But at this point it should be a crime if Ohtani isn’t in the top 25 most famous athletes in the world! We probably won’t see another athlete like him in the next 30+years. “Sports Fan” cards should be revoked if you don’t know who he is or have any idea what he’s doing
Don’t discount the extra team roster spot Ohtani allows bc he plays both sides. There is a lot of value in that to a team.
@YankeesBleacherCreature Surprisingly little value, really, since a two-way player only effectively adds the 27th roster spot on a 26-man roster.
Don’t get me wrong. Adding a professional pinch runner like Tim Locastro without making sacrifices elsewhere on the roster is nice to be able to do, but Tim’s career WAR is 0.2. Basically it means you’re able to add a guy who otherwise wouldn’t make the 26 man roster, and that’s never a player who contributes much. Essentially he’s the least-worst player you can scrounge up, who otherwise would be in AAA.
He doesn’t add a spot because of the six player rotation.
You still need to carry 5 other starters
Astros make no sense unless they’re willing to part with young MLB talent since the cupboard is empty of prospects.
The Mets can build a solid rotation around Verlander. And Verlander has looked more like the Verlander of last year in his last 6 starts.
The Mets can build off that. If they can possibly get some prospects to develop like Vasil or Hamel into big leaguers, and get one of the 3 extra starters like Megill or Peterson or Lucchesi to be more consistent, then they don’t need to sign 3 FA starters each year.
I see them going all in to sign two FA starters – Ohtani and Yamamoto. They should keep Verlander and have a rotation of Ohtani, Verlander, Senga, Quintana, and Yamamoto with Peterson as the long man. He’s been better lately in that role.
The Mets sound like they intend to do the same thing this offseason as they did last offseason.
Their kissin’ cousins the Padres as well.
Maybe the Mets will sign Blake Snell for 7 years/$250m with a player option for an 8th year at $40m; and the Padres will give Carlos Carrasco 4 years/$145m. That should excite both fan bases.
The Reds, Diamondbacks and Marlins will follow in the Pirates footsteps and fall below .500. The Mets and Padres will finish above .500
@EasternLeagueVeteran Well, the Mets have 3 good-looking starters for 2024 if they keep Verlander, Senga, and Quintana, but if they’re aiming for the postseason they’re going to need a durable ace and a solid #5.
Vasil (deserved 4.71 ERA in AA and AAA in 2023) and Hamel (4.77 ERA in AA) are iffy and need at least another year in the minors, and the experiment with Megill, Peterson, Lucchesi (and Butto) should be considered at an end after their collective collapse in 2023. None of those guys should be even remotely considered other than #7 starts or the next man in the pen after the last man in the pen. They’re just not major league arms. I suppose if they get an ace they’ll do what the Mets always do, screw around at the back end, and figure if they have six AAAA starters, surely one of them will pan out. It tends not to work that way, as we’ve seen.
On top of an ace and a #5 they need nearly all of a bullpen particularly if they trade one or both of Ottavino and Raley, and they really, really should. Neither is anywhere near as good as their ERA (do the Mets even have a reliever with a FIP under 4.00 and more than about 18 innings pitched?) and they won’t want to reup them at their option prices, particularly when they can get a little something for the farm. They also need an AS-caliber OFer, probably a professional DH, as well.
Is Cohen going to go to $400m plus penalties just to aim for a wildcard spot? I’m skeptical. I think they’re going to screw around for a year. They might bag a FA ace, but they’ll go with their current lineup, hand Vogelbach’s duties over to rookies and to spell vets, and fake a bullpen with Diaz, Raley, one addition, then the same disaster as in 2023 with a dozen guys like Hartwig, Brigham (ugh), Drew Smith (gag), and so on.
Verlander won’t be moved now. He’s next year’s Scherzer.
The mets are in better shape today, but with a lot of wasted money.
Use McNeil as trade bait, he’ll bring more
Second to moving him.
I agree with moving McNeil. They have premium prospects that will be up this year and next. He is expendable at this point.
anyone buying Dana brown’s “we aren’t in the market for a starter” is fooling themselves. they have 2 SPs capable of pitching in the playoffs with urquidy coming back being #3. After that it’s innings limit city with most of their other guys. I can’t imagine they are comfortable going into the playoffs with only 3 guys they are comfortable with starting and a rotation of Brown (ip limit coming), France, Bielak.
it may not be JV but Stroman, Lorenzen, Singer, Carrasco, are all guys they are likely looking at, and that’s assuming they don’t make the big splash with a JV or Cease.
Dodgers should trade for Luis Castillo with Seattle instead of Verlander
They had their chance last year to trade Vargas for Castillo and blew it
But not one of Mariners available among are France and at keast they are not trading Pospects but Veterans and Cubs and Padres should be among others.
Braves don’t have what Mets want.
The Braves have what the Mets want…. A winning team.
Houston does not want if available. They will get a back end bullpen. Perhaps Montero and Stanek could be gone, Meyers and Julks. Why those two not start today. BUt Dana and Dusty say we fine on pitching, our starters are Fantastic. We can beat rangers and reign as champs with what we have. Urquidy is returning. So let rangers get all the pitching they need. All we in Houston need is bullpen helped.they have worked so hard they tired. So a piece to help them. With our rotation when Urquidy ack we can beat even Rangers
Then why have they been in constant contact with the Mets over the last couple days? They are just trying to get Mets price down.
They may need a garbage can or 2 also.
The Mets and Padres have proven if you spend a lot of money on below average players, you will end up with is a below average team.
Remember, all the Mets fans celebrating when Steve Cohen bought the team? Lol, they had a better team under their previous owner. Same thing with the Padres. You can’t win by simply throwing money at a problem.
Mets and Padres are the now the two biggest jokes in baseball.
If next year the Mets are ~$130M under what they have on payroll this year, minus arb, they can easy pay Ohtani $65M per to play in the east coast and take care of two areas of need in one signing. Add a Montgomery to the rotation and it’s a solid 4 with Quintana at the 5. Sprinkle Acuna in CF with Nimmo sliding over to LF and the defense just improved, with Mauricio grabbing 2B and McNeil being the super Utility player that he is (not as a starter).
Ohtani will return to Japan rather than sign with a ballclub on the East Coast.
Weird to see the braves checking in on him. I doubt anything comes to fruition because that contract is something I could never see the braves paying up on. Unless the mets significantly pay down his salary the braves literally checked in on him and that’s as far as it goes from there. And I don’t see the mets paying down his salary like they did scherzer, plus it being the braves, they won’t do us any favors. I’d be surprised if the braves land Verlander. Super surprised. I don’t think it’s happening.
I agree with the ESPN baseball tonite that don’t count out Baltimore getting Verlander.
Rather the Braves check in on Marte
Marte has had a bad season, and is currently on the IL indefinitely. He is available for the Braves tho.
Take him,please
Verlander went to the Mets for hopes of a better life and a better team. Instead, he got this. Even for a millionaire like him, I send my deepest respects. Nobody should have to suffer playing for such a poor franchise. Thr vesting option makes it almost impossible he will be traded until 2025.
He went to the Mets for more money. How much better do you think it could be after winning the World Series and Cy Young Award…?
The Braves checking in on Verlander is more of a thumb-in-yer-eye, yo mama move than an actual legitimate desire to obtain him.
The knife goes in slowly and then,
the twist
The Braves checked in…. Lmao!!! If the Braves want to give up their top 5 prospects, I might return the call.
Stros would need Mets to pay down salary like they did for Scherzer and accept a combo of minor league talent as Stros do not have any top 100 MILB talent. I don’t think it’s happening. May happen but will be surprised
Astros ALWAYS have top 100 talent – the rankings don’t see what highly intelligent front offices see
After arb raises the Mets are already headed to a $280 million payroll in 2024.
They won’t be serious contenders even just for a wildcard spot unless payroll goes to $400 million. Say they keep Verlander. They still need an ace, and they still need a solid back of the rotation starter in FA. The group of “David Peterson, Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi and Jose Butto” aren’t depth options, they’re failed experiments, at least as starters.
The Mets will also need an All-Star caliber bat, ideally in the OF. They need a serious bench upgrade and they’ll need 3/4 of a bullpen.
Is Cohen willing to go to $400 million, plus penalties, in order to contend in 2024? If he does he’ll also be saddling the team with contracts for more old players, more guys 30 and older, most or all of whom will require deals that take them to 2025 and perhaps well beyond.
Current projected lineup for 2024?
Nimmo, L:indor, Alonso, Alvarez, McNeil, Marte, Vogelbach, Baty, Vientos.
Look at the last five. They’ve all been failures in 2023. As for the first four, the first three of that group are having subpar seasons by their standards. Even Alvarez has a sub-.295 OBP. Cohen should back off, treat 2024 as a waiting, a growing year, time to give the prospects who appear ready full seasons in the majors, Roll the dice with a DH such as the one the Dodgers got in Martinez for 1/10m and hope to catch a similar lightning. Live or die with Mauricio, Vientos, and Baty in the lineup. After 2023, fans don’t expect a $400m payroll in 2024 that will only make things worse for 2025 and beyond.
The left-handed bat the Astros want is in Sugar Land.
All I can do is smh at the Mets organization. I totally get the LOLMets thing. Wow! What an irresponsible owner.
What I’ve learned from being a Tigers fan is you can’t buy a World Series Championship. If you don’t have a good farm system with MLB ready players trying to take the jobs of complacent veterans, complacency will run rampant. On paper, the Mets should have cruised to the World Series. There’s more to assembling a team than buying expensive free agents.
LOLMets
You can indeed buy a WS ring, you just can’t do it the way the Mets did, with an owner playing GM, a fake GM who’s not actually a good shadow advisor, and by buying old, older, oldest players and counting on them to be very lucky with health, and then not having a real backup plan. Imagine believing you were okay when Quintana went down in ST, meaning for at least 3 months at least 40% of your starts were going to Carrasco, and Peterson et al, with Verlander hitting the IL, Scherzer looking very iffy, and Senga a complete unknown. They were simply clueless.
You also have trouble with it if your organization still can’t do things like teach even one of Baty, Vientos, and Mauricio to field 3B adequately despite their combined 15 years on the farm. It’s contemptible, really.
Well, I’ve seen this whole thing play out in Detroit back in 2014 with a team as equally stacked as the 2023 Mets with a better GM and a better Manager.
Every member of that starting staff went on to win huge. Each won a World Series. There’s at least 3 Cy Young’s. Multiple MVPs. All after they left Detroit.
Verlander to the Reds for Elly DeLa Cruz
I would bet that Verlander stays put. If someone wanted him that bad they would have out bid the Mets. Too much money too much injury risk and reports are that the Mets are valuing him too much.
Mets luck be they don’t trade him and than he gets hurt in a meaningless second half and doesn’t pitch in 2024
MEANWHILE …..
Y a n k e e s , like every other year, General Manager /Owners ,sit on their hands ….at the Trade Deadline…… expecting other teams to hand them players out of the goodness of their hearts.
Yankees apparently are satisfied with being a sub-par & mediocre. franchise again in 2023.
George Steinbrenner would have benched a majority of the players and brought up minor leaguers…… the players with heart and drive.
George also would have fired Brian Cashman & Aaron Boone years ago, just for disgracing the Yankees reputation.
YANKEES ARE PATHETIC YET AGAIN IN 2023.
Mets should just trade Verlander and Alonzo. Get what you can in the trades and in the off-season spend some money. Alonzo is batting .217 and a free agent at year end. Are the Mets going to pay him to dollar? They shouldn’t! Trade the two get prospects and spend in the off-season.
Alonso is a free agent after next year, not this year. He’s also a legitimate 40 HR guy that normally hits .260 with a mid .800 OPS. Imagine what he might do if he actually had protection in the lineup?
Not to mention the fact he’s probably just starting to fully recover from getting hit by Morton in early June.
However, Andy Martino of SNY reports that the Mets value Verlander much differently than Scherzer. They’ve placed a higher asking price in terms of prospects and aren’t willing to pay down salary to the same extent they were in order to move Scherzer.
==========================
Y’all said the same thing about Scherzer, that the Mets’ asking price was high. I told you his value was less than -0-.
I’d agree that Verlander is worth more than Scherzer, but how many teams are going to pay $43M for someone that has morphed into a #2 SP?
I’d take him if Mets toss in 15 million to offset next year’s salary – I think if anybody is worth 35 million a year, he is (and Cole). Problem is, the tax hit for Astros. Acquiring him would put them in tax land THIS year, and well into it in ’24 & ’25, after all the arb raises, trying to extend Tucker, keep Altuve a while longer, maybe Bregman too, plus Framber extension.