Mets trade Justin Verlander to Astros at deadline
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Justin Verlander barely had enough time to say hello to the Mets, but on Tuesday could issue his goodbye.
Only 16 appearances into his tenure with the team, the three-time Cy Young award winner joined another future Hall of Famer, Max Scherzer, in leaving for a playoff contender.
Verlander is returning to Houston in a deal that yielded the Astros’ top prospect, outfielder Drew Gilbert.
The Mets are also receiving the Astros’ third-ranked prospect, outfielder Ryan Clifford.
In other deals before the 6 p.m. deadline, the Mets dealt Tommy Pham to the Diamondbacks for 17-year-old shortstop Jeremy Rodriguez and sent Dominic Leone to the Angels for Double-A infielder Jeremiah Jackson.
In need of arms to get through the season, the Mets obtained Phil Bickford and Adam Kolarek from the Dodgers for cash.
The Mets, who began play five games under .500, have essentially dismantled in the last week a team that opened the season with a record $364 million payroll and a total bill that would have approached $500 million counting the luxury tax.
The focus following the overhaul now turns to likely even beyond 2024.
“It’s going to be a big-league team and we have to go out there and compete and give it our best,” Francisco Lindor said. “I signed up here to be in a winning franchise and they are trying to do whatever it takes to be a sustainable winning franchise and I’m on board.”
Gilbert is the prize of the group.
According to a major league talent evaluator, the outfielder obtained in the Verlander deal is a “grinder” in the same mold as Brett Gardner, who will give the team above-average speed and solid defense in the outfield.
The talent evaluator regarded Clifford as a “good” prospect with the ability to hit for power, who may better project as a first baseman.
Everything to know about the Mets' historic sell-off
After a disappointing season, the Mets are selling off their historically expensive roster.
The Amazins dealt out some big name players before the MLB trade deadline — including now-former co-aces Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.
Below are the players the Mets have shipped out:
Tommy Pham
The Mets traded the outfielder minutes before the 6 p.m. deadline to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Arizona is sending back 17-year shortstop Jeremy Rodriguez, who has a .751 OPS rookie ball this season.
Justin Verlander
The Mets traded out Verlander, a sure-fire Hall of Fame pitcher, back to his former team, the Houston Astros.
The Amazins reportedly will receive top Astros prospect Drew Gilbert, a Double-A outfielder, and 20-year-old outfielder Ryan Clifford, who owns a .919 OPS through 83 games in Low- and High-A this year.
Max Scherzer
Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young winner that was a co-ace with Verlander, was sold off to the Texas Rangers.
The Mets landed one of the Rangers’ top prospects, Double-A infielder Luisangel Acuña, brother of Braves star Ronald Acuña.
Mark Canha
The veteran outfielder was dealt to the Brewers for Justin Jarvis, a promising 23-year-old pitcher that was ranked No. 12 in the Brewers’ farm system.
David Robertson
The Mets traded closer David Robertson to the Miami Marlins, a move that started off the club’s deadline dismantle.
In exchange for Robertson, who is having another terrific season, the Mets received a pair of minor leaguers, infielder Marco Vargas and catcher Ronald Hernandez, from Miami.
The 40-year-old Verlander won two World Series with the Astros before arriving to the Mets on a two-year deal worth $86.6 million last offseason that contains a third-year option that vests if he pitches 140 innings in 2024.
Verlander had to waive his no-trade clause for the deal to materialize.
The Mets, according to a source, are splitting with the Astros what is owed to Verlander and will pick up as much as $53 million that is still owed to the pitcher.
Of that amount, $17.5 million is contingent upon Verlander’s option vesting.
Verlander’s departure is part of a whirlwind week in which the Mets also traded David Robertson and Mark Canha for minor league prospects, in addition to Scherzer.
The Mets are paying potentially $100 million to absorb money left on contracts to obtain better prospects.
That includes the $5 million the Mets absorbed in June when they dealt Eduardo Escobar to the Angels.
The Dodgers, Giants, Reds and Padres were among the teams that spoke to the Mets about Verlander, but it’s unclear if the right-hander was willing to waive his no-trade clause for a deal to any of those teams.
The Astros’ obvious advantages included the proximity of the team’s spring training complex to Verlander’s home in the West Palm Beach, Fla., area.
Verlander also has a tight relationship with Astros owner Jim Crane, who wanted to re-sign the pitcher last winter.
Verlander’s departure all but decimates any chance the Mets had of rallying for a postseason berth over the final two months, as an already underperforming rotation is now stripped of Verlander and Scherzer.
Verlander missed the first month-plus of the season rehabbing a strained teres major muscle near his right armpit, but rebounded strongly in his last seven starts, pitching to a 1.49 ERA and displaying the form that in 2022 earned him a third Cy Young award.
With Scherzer departed — his contract had a player option for next season that was exercised before his trade to Texas — the Mets could be left to search for three starting pitchers this winter to join Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana.
Additional reporting by Joel Sherman
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