Justin Verlander

Houston Astros star Justin Verlander took the high road after a recent report detailed apparent discord during his time with the New York Mets.

"I want to say that I have nothing but respect for the Mets organization and I enjoyed connecting with all of my teammates this season... new and old!!" he said Monday. "It was truly a wonderful group of people."

pic.twitter.com/hhD8mN9vOk

— Justin Verlander (@JustinVerlander) August 14, 2023

The New York Post's Mike Puma cited one source Saturday who described Verlander as a "diva." He reported the right-hander "often complained about the Mets' analytics department, which he deemed inferior to the one that served him in Houston."

Puma's report also said Verlander "was largely detached from teammates" and "didn't add to the team's identity." Per Puma, Verlander and Max Scherzer had a "strained relationship" during their time together on the Detroit Tigers. And while the two "worked toward harmony" in Queens, there was reportedly "occasional discord."

The drama between Scherzer and Verlander was somewhat foreseeable. Former Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski told Newsday's Tim Healey in December the two aces "butted heads" at times when they were teammates in the Motor City.

"It was never a bad butting," Dombrowski said. "It would be more from a competitive perspective — which isn't always bad. 'OK, you pitched, now I'm going to be better than you.'

"I don't think they were two who went out a lot with one another, that type of [social, friendly] situation. I'd say the competitive aspect is the way to describe it. They were not the best of buddies, but I didn't have any problems with them."

More broadly, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal also cited an Astros player who described Verlander as "more accessible" and "more engaged in the clubhouse environment than he was prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2020." It certainly gave an impression the opposite — or something resembling it — had been the case before.

The fact of the matter, however, is that Verlander's behavior behind the scenes probably isn't a story right now if the Mets were on track to make the playoffs. It becomes easy to point fingers when New York is 12 games under .500 and fourth in the National League East.

Verlander unquestionably played a role in the Mets underwhelming to this degree. His strikeout rate (7.7 per nine innings) and his 3.84 FIP were both well below the standard he set in 2022. Being an ace of the staff also comes with certain expectations within the clubhouse that he may not have been fulfilling.

But throwing Verlander under the bus is probably counterproductive when it's likely to lead to further scrutiny toward the organization.

It appears former New York Mets pitcher Justin Verlander rubbed some of his teammates in the Big Apple the wrong way.

Verlander was a "diva," an anonymous Mets player told Mike Puma of the New York Post, and he "often complained about the Mets' analytics department, which he deemed inferior to the one that served him in Houston."

The anonymous player also told Puma that Verlander "was largely detached from teammates" and "didn't add to the team's identity."

Verlander and Max Scherzer, who had a strained relationship as teammates on the Detroit Tigers from 2010-14, also had issues during their time together in New York despite trying to work on their relationship, according to Puma.

Verlander's "diva" attitude allegedly caused Scherzer to complain about the three-time Cy Young winner, per Puma.

The Mets signed Verlander to a two-year, $86.7 million contract ahead of the 2023 season hoping he and Scherzer could lead a rotation that included Kodai Senga, José Quintana and Carlos Carrasco.

But as the team spiraled out of playoff contention in the National League East, it became apparent that the Mets needed to make some changes, and the franchise traded Verlander to the Houston Astros and Scherzer to the Texas Rangers ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline.

Aside from the reported drama between the two, Verlander and Scherzer failed to live up to expectations this season.

Verlander made 16 starts for the Mets before being traded, posting a 6-5 record, 3.15 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 81 strikeouts in 94.1 innings. Scherzer, meanwhile, made 19 starts in New York this year, going 9-4 with a 4.01 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 121 strikeouts in 107.2 innings.

With the Mets having boasted the highest payroll in baseball entering the 2023 season, the club's failures have been a major disappointment as it was widely expected to contend for a title this year.

New York is now on pace to miss the postseason for the fourth time in the last five seasons, sitting fourth in the NL East with a 52-65 record.

With the 2023 campaign being considered a lost cause for Steve Cohen's squad, all eyes will be on the franchise as it looks to build a stronger roster heading into 2024.

Houston Astros trade deadline acquisition Justin Verlander said the Astros were his "No. 1 choice" for a trade destination from the New York Mets, according to The Athletic's Chandler Rome and MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.

Verlander, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, helped lead the Astros to World Series titles in 2017 and 2022.

Justin Verlander: “Houston was the No. 1 choice for me.”

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) August 3, 2023

Verlander said the Astros were his No. 1 choice pic.twitter.com/ylma2IR47W

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) August 3, 2023

The trade brought Verlander back to Houston in exchange for highly ranked minor league outfielders Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford.

Verlander said he immediately approved the deal when the Mets offered it to him, per MLB insider Michael Schwab. He expects to pitch Saturday against the New York Yankees, per McTaggart.

Despite his happiness to be back in Houston, Verlander spoke positively of the Mets following his departure.

"I have nothing but the utmost respect for their organization and how they treat their players. A+ from top to bottom. Anybody that would ask me about that organization if they had a decision to make, I would recommend their organization"

- Justin Verlander on the Mets pic.twitter.com/5muowDoS4M

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 3, 2023

The Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres had also shown interest in Verlander, but the scales were tipped because of Verlander's already-established relationship with Astros owner Jim Crane, according to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez.

Verlander said Mets general manager Billy Eppler never presented him with a deal other than the Mets', per Rome. The decision was ultimately up to the pitcher, whose contract reportedly boasted a full no-trade clause.

Verlander is in the first season of a two-year, $86.7 million deal he signed with the Mets in December, which carries a conditional $35 million option for 2025 depending on how many innings Verlander pitches next season.

Of the $58 million Verlander is owed through 2024, the Mets will pay $35 million, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. New York will pay $17.5 million of Verlander's $35 million 2025 salary if it vests.

The three-time Cy Young winner, who turned 40 in February, has a 3.15 ERA and 1.145 WHIP in 16 starts for the Mets this season.

His performances improved even as the Mets slipped out of the playoff picture over the last month, with a 1.69 ERA and a 2.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio through six July starts.

Those numbers, and the Mets' willingness to eat part of Verlander's contract, made giving up a pair of prospects for him worth it, Crane said, per Gonzalez. The Astros will hope this trade is enough to help them catch the Texas Rangers at the top of the AL West.

The Boston Red Sox are battling for an American League wild-card spot, and they reportedly almost landed an ace for the stretch run ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline.

Levi Weaver and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the American League East team was "one of the clubs that pursued a deal for the most accomplished starter who did get moved—three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander."

Yet the New York Mets ultimately traded Verlander to the Houston Astros.

Even making the best offer might not have been enough for Boston.

Weaver and Rosenthal noted Verlander preferred to return to the Astros, where he pitched from 2017 through 2022, and "might not have waived his no-trade clause for any club but Houston."

That is an unfortunate break for the Red Sox and any other team that was interested in him, especially since there weren't many elite-level talents made available ahead of the deadline. Verlander is a future Hall of Famer with three Cy Youngs, an AL MVP, two World Series titles, an AL Rookie of the Year, two ERA titles and nine All-Star selections.

Such a resume going to the Astros was an even bigger blow to the Red Sox than simply missing out on a trade, as Houston is one of the wild-card teams they are chasing.

Boston is 2.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the final wild-card position and 4.5 games behind the Astros.

Verlander was incredible last year for the Astros with a 1.75 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 185 strikeouts in 175 innings on his way to the Cy Young award. He hasn't been quite as effective this season with a 3.15 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, but he has still been excellent and gives the Astros a game-changing weapon atop their rotation.

A weapon that Boston could have used as it attempts to make up ground before October.

The Los Angeles Dodgers may have acquired Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly, and reunited with Kike Hernandez prior to the trade deadline Tuesday but the deals that did not get done are the ones of greatest interest.

The team had expressed interest in dealing for three-time Cy Young Award-winner Justin Verlander prior to the deadline, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, but were unable to get the deal done and the future Hall of Famer returned to Houston in pursuit of another World Series ring.

Despite the inability to close the deal with the Mets to bring the righty in, the Dodgers are still in a position to be a legitimate World Series contender, thanks to veteran experience and an explosive offense that can score with any team in either conference.

The Dodgers currently rank third in team OPS with .786, behind only the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers.

First baseman Freddie Freeman is on pace to have one of the most prolific hitting seasons of his career and currently sits atop the team in OPS for players with more than five at-bats (.993).

Mookie Betts, who has played all over the outfield and at shortstop as needed, is having another stellar hitting season and should smash his previous home run total having hit 28 already. Throw in seven stolen bases and 69 RBI and you have a player that is probably taken for granted in terms of how great he is.

Quality contributions from centerfielder James Outman, catcher Will Smith and designated hitter JD Martinez have helped fuel a Dodgers team, who some expected to take a step back, to the top of the NL West.

Another great year from future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw (10-4, 2.55 ERA) and better-than-expected outings from first-year pitcher Bobby Miller (6-2, 4.37) have given the team just enough from the starting rotation to position itself as a contender to win their second series since 2020.

This, despite an off year for Julio Urias.

Could the team have used Verlander to really solidify the rotation and make them the clear favorite to challenge the Braves as the NL favorite?

Absolutely.

It is difficult to imagine any team currently in contention that would not have been markedly improved by the veteran, especially given his improved play over his last seven starts. The same could be said of Eduardo Rodriguez, for whom the team had a deal in place before he exercised his no-trade clause late in negotiations.

Even without another arm in the rotation, the team has proven its ability to win 60 games, fend off the hungry San Francisco Giants and upstart Arizona Diamondbacks, and eye another finish atop the division.

Because of the elite players they have in key positions, and the championship experience they have (four rings between Kershaw, Freeman and Betts), they are and will remain top contenders as long as whoever is on the mound can continue to play as steadily as they have to this point in the season.

If two things can be true at once, Steve Cohen's New York Mets are a worse team on Wednesday than they were entering Tuesday and yet much better for it.

Yes, even if it takes until 2025 for it to show.

To hear it from now-erstwhile New York ace Max Scherzer, this might even be the best-case scenario for when the Mets, who are pretty much out of this year's playoff race at 50-56, might compete again. He claims to have heard it straight from general manager Billy Eppler before he agreed a trade to the Texas Rangers on Sunday:

"They're looking to compete now for 2025 and 2026. It was not gonna be a reload situation in New York. It was gonna be more of a transition in 2024."

Max Scherzer on Billy Eppler's direction of the Mets future pic.twitter.com/sUrONQ7MB6

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) August 2, 2023

Eppler disputed this timeline, telling the press after Major League Baseball's trade deadline passed on Tuesday evening: "I do want to be clear that it's not a rebuild. It's not a fire sale. It's not a liquidation. This is just a repurposing of Steve's investment in the club, and kind of shifting that investment from the team into the organization."

But what Scherzer said certainly feels like an accurate representation of where the Mets are right now.

In addition to Scherzer himself, fellow three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander is also now a former Met. Ditto for veteran closer David Robertson, outfielders Tommy Pham and Mark Canha and right-handed reliever Dominic Leone.

What's left barely resembles the roster that was supposed to build on last year's 101-win effort, but, well, we all know that Picasso quote: Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction.

---

What Did You Want the Mets to Do? Run It Back?

Look, you can't fault the Mets for what they tried to do this year.

If ever there was an obvious next step for Cohen and Eppler following last year's thrilling regular season but disappointingly short playoff run, it was dip into Cohen's $17.5 billion net worth in an effort to get even better. The Mets did exactly that amid an offseason splurge that elevated the club's payroll to a record-shattering $350 million.

The approach, though, was always inherently volatile. This was most apparent in the league-high collective age (32.9 years old) of the Amazins' pitchers. Accordingly, it is not surprising that what was an elite pitching staff in 2022 has gone backward in every conceivable way in 2023.

Even Verlander and Scherzer, who would have combined for a 1.99 ERA as teammates at the respective ages of 39 and 37 in 2022, regressed to a 3.61 ERA at the ages of 40 and 38 this year. If ever there was a warning sign not to welcome them back for their age-41 and age-39 seasons in 2024, well, there you go.

For a good example of what the Mets absolutely should not have done when Cohen and Eppler's best-laid plans went awry, just look to The Bronx.

Mired in a disappointing 55-52 season of their own, that's where the Yankees seemed unsure if the right move was to buy or sell at the deadline. They ultimately did neither, and their failure to sell may prove to be especially damning.

Their roster consists of a handful of pending free agents who won't be worthy of qualifying offers and another handful of bad contracts (i.e., Giancarlo Stanton, Carlos Rodón and Anthony Rizzo) that are only liable to get less movable in the future. They seem, in every sense of the word, stuck.

---

Youth Movement = Bright Future

By opting not to be like the Yankees, the Mets did more than just shed roughly $100 million in salaries. They also completely remade their farm system.

These are the prospects the Mets acquired just since last Friday's trade of Robertson, with their team and wider MLB ranks according to MLB.com:

• INF Luisangel Acuña: Mets No. 2, MLB No. 44
• OF Drew Gilbert: Mets No. 4, MLB No. 68
• OF Ryan Clifford: Mets No. 6
• INF Marco Vargas: Mets No. 9
• RHP Justin Jarvis: Mets No. 15
• C Ronald Hernandez: Mets No. 21
• INF/OF Jeremiah Jackson: Mets No. 22

That's seven legit new prospects for a farm system that was already in halfway decent shape. Though the Mets have seen catcher Francisco Álvarez and third baseman Brett Baty exhaust their prospect eligibility this year, B/R's Joel Reuter still had their system ranked in the top half of MLB at No. 12 after the draft in July. It's surely a top-10 system now.

It's a cliché to extoll the virtues of building a contender on a foundation of young talent, but that obviously wouldn't be the case if the notion didn't have any real-world relevance.

Just look at ascendant contenders like the Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles and legacy contenders like Atlanta, the Houston Astros and the team out west that the Mets are now in position to emulate: the Los Angeles Dodgers.

---

None of This Means 2024 Has to Be a Drag

As soon as Cohen took control of the Mets from the Wilpons in 2020, the prospect of them becoming the Dodgers of the East was and continued to be only too obvious.

That never was going to happen overnight, but where the Mets are now feels similar to where the Dodgers were when Andrew Friedman took over the front office in Oct. 2014. The team had its fun spending big in pursuit of wins, but that's when it was time to get serious about building a more sustainable foundation.

Just as the Dodgers have established a sky-high baseline by graduating wave after wave of prospect talent while also consistently ranking among MLB's five biggest spenders, there's no reason the Mets can't do the same.

Assuming, of course, that the process of hoarding prospects is still followed by some commitment to spending. And it sounds like it will be.

"We don't want to punt," Eppler said. "We want to have a product that we feel good about and people can feel good about. We don't want to endure long stretches of being bad."

Whether or not their pursuits are ultimately successful—and whether or not it's Eppler and not, say, David Stearns calling the shots—there will be nothing stopping the Mets from going after the top free agents on this winter's market. Once again, Cohen is worth $17.5 billion. Even if you didn't know the exact figure, you might still have been able to infer it from how he paid Scherzer and Verlander $63 million to not play for his team anymore.

Shohei Ohtani? Probably a long shot now, but he might like money enough to hear the Mets out. Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto? A decent fall-back for Ohtani if there ever was one. Matt Chapman? Sure. Lucas Giolito? Also, sure.

And so on. The bottom line: As rocky as the path the Mets are on may be, at least it's a path forward. The real cause for despair will thus only come if, by scaling back his efforts, Cohen makes it any longer than it needs to be.

---

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

Framber Valdez has joined the no-no club.

The Houston Astros ace pitched the third no-hitter of the 2023 MLB season and the first of his career on Tuesday, giving up just one walk and striking out seven Cleveland Guardians batters en route to a 2-0 win at Minute Maid Park.

Framber Valdez is the first lefty in @Astros history to throw a no-hitter. pic.twitter.com/8uspLTGXS0

— MLB (@MLB) August 2, 2023

He was at the peak of efficiency, needing only 93 pitches to get the job done:

🚨 A NO-HITTER FOR FRAMBER VALDEZ 🚨

Valdez threw just 93 pitches, the fewest in a no-hitter since David Cone in 1999.@Astros | #Ready2Reign pic.twitter.com/a8QiQUoOec

— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) August 2, 2023

And MLB Twitter was loving it:

That's the 16th no-hitter in Astros history, including the World Series. They threw two combined no-hitters last year.

The previous pitcher to throw a complete no-hitter for the Astros? Justin Verlander on Sept. 1, 2019.

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) August 2, 2023

Valdez is the first left-handed pitcher in #Astros franchise history to throw a no-hitter https://t.co/mtJZkwpmk2

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) August 2, 2023

On a day when the Astros traded for a guy with three no-hitters, their starting pitcher threw a no-hitter …

Because baseball!

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) August 2, 2023

Astros delivered a message to the rest of the league today. https://t.co/UoDiEZuVU0

— Charean Williams (@NFLCharean) August 2, 2023

Pure domination from Framber Valdez tonight! Just FILTHY!#NoHitter!!!!

Framber allowed 1 walk but faced the minimum as he induced a double play.

He struck out 7
He threw 93 pitches, 65 strikes.

He lowers his ERA to 3.07 and improves to 9-7. https://t.co/Nql5GQ81Bz

— Patrick Creighton (@PCreighton1) August 2, 2023

Everything is coming up Astros…

— Adam Schein (@AdamSchein) August 2, 2023

FRAMBER VALDEZ WITH THE NO HITTER IN HOUSTON TEXAS. WHAT A NIGHT FOR THE STAFF ACE. THE FRAMCHISE. HIS VERY FIRST MLB NO HITTER!!! PLAY FRAMBERS SONG!! pic.twitter.com/6FzMqcjdhS

— Apollo Dez (@ApolloDez1) August 2, 2023

FRAMBER VALDEZ NO-HITTER!!!

THE VIBES IN H-TOWN ARE AT AN ALL TIME HIGH!!! pic.twitter.com/RdLTvvwz3U

— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) August 2, 2023

Justin Verlander returns. Framber Valdez throws a no-hitter. Beware of the reigning champs.

— Roosh (@RooshWilliams) August 2, 2023

So on the same day the defending champs got Justin Verlander back in a trade with the New York Mets—a deal that will see the Mets pay "$35 million out of the $58 million remaining on Verlander's deal in 2023 and 2024 and $17.5 million of his 2025 option if it vests," per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez and Jeff Passan—they also get a no-hitter from Valdez.

How was your Tuesday?

Another fun factoid from Valdez's no-no—it was the third one caught by Martin Maldonado:

Martin Maldonado has now caught 3 no-hitters, tied for 3rd-most in MLB history, behind only:

Carlos Ruiz & Jason Varitek, with 4 each https://t.co/VmoQRrbJR3

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) August 2, 2023

The only thing that didn't go the Astros' way was that they didn't make up any ground on the Texas Rangers, who beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0 on Tuesday. The Rangers (61-46) remain a half game ahead of the Astros (61-47) in the AL West.

The Astros, however, are firmly in a wild-card spot, four games clear of the Boston Red Sox. They are 11-6 since the All-Star break, and the addition of Verlander has them looking very much like favorites in the American League.

It should be a fun two months down the stretch as Houston prepares, yet again, for October baseball.

New York Mets general manager Billy Eppler spoke with reporters about the team's decision to undergo a comprehensive fire sale ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline, which included the trades of star pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.

"You have to go through a little pain to get where we want to go," he said. "... Our organization is making strides for a better future."

He added that the goal was to still field a competitive team in 2024, though expectations would obviously be somewhat tempered.

"Going into 2024, we don't see ourselves having the same odds that we did in 2022, 2023—but we will field a competitive team in 2024," he noted. "Now is a time where we start to think about what opportunities can exist in the winter time, what kind of resources that we'll have at our disposal, and put our best foot forward."

"Going into 2024, we don't see ourselves having the same odds that we did in 2022, 2023 - but we will field a competitive team in 2024"

- Billy Eppler pic.twitter.com/24paea5Xgp

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 1, 2023

Billy Eppler says he was trying to expedite a longer-term goal and build the farm system.

— Laura Albanese (@AlbaneseLaura) August 1, 2023

The Mets went from the highest payroll in baseball history to a fire sale of epic proportions that included dealing Scherzer, Verlander, Tommy Pham, Mark Canha, David Robertson and Dominic Leone.

And while they shed salary, they still ate a ton of money on their various deals, most prominently the Scherzer and Verlander trades:

Mets are paying 60% of Verlander’s salary this year, and next.

50% of Verlander in 2025.

The Astros let the Mets borrow JV for 100 games, and sold them Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford for somewhere between $35-$52.5m https://t.co/TTLgTNOs5p

— Jeremy Branham (@JeremyBranham) August 1, 2023

So the Mets will pay ~$35 million of Scherzer’s salary through the end of 2024, while the Rangers will pay $22.5 million. That was the cost to acquire Luisangel Acuña in the deal.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 30, 2023

Mets and Diamondbacks are splitting the salary on Tommy Pham the rest of the way. He’s owed about $1.7M for the remainder of the season.

— Tim Britton (@TimBritton) August 1, 2023

There arguably hasn't been a bigger disappointment in baseball this season (outside of perhaps San Diego) than these Mets. There's talent still in place, no doubt, led by Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso.

But the Mets are going to have a much different look in 2024 than they did coming into this season. Even Lindor expressed as much.

Nice job by Francisco Lindor delivering front office messaging of reallocation of resources and repositioning. That’s a big part of being a face of a franchise when world is swirling. https://t.co/17uvtgJ3Vj

— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) August 1, 2023

"I signed up here to be in a winning franchise, and they're trying to do whatever it takes to be a sustainable, winning franchise," he told reporters. "I'm on board."

The issue for the Mets is that the NL East is one of the stronger divisions in baseball. The Atlanta Braves are a powerhouse. The Miami Marlins are loaded with young talent. The Philadelphia Phillies have aggressively acquired star power around Bryce Harper and likely will continue to do so in pursuit of a title.

Yes, getting younger going forward seemed to be a need, and getting back prospects for pending free agents like Robertson, Pham, Leone and potentially Canha (he has a club option for next season) was a solid retooling effort.

But unless the Mets go right back into their heavy spending ways this upcoming winter, they probably aren't going to compete with the likes of the Braves, Marlins or Phillies, let alone the other strong teams in the National League.

Next year won't be a lost season. It just likely won't be one that extends into October, similar to this season. At least now more realistic expectations are being set.