Mets land Justin Verlander as Jacob deGrom replacement: Best memes and tweets
The New York Mets lost Jacob deGrom but Steve Cohen responded by landing Justin Verlander on Monday, which sent fans into some wild reactions.
Whenever Jacob deGrom signed his lucrative deal with the Texas Rangers, you knew it was only a matter of time before Steve Cohen and the New York Mets answered with a splashy move of their own. On Monday, they did just that as the club inked a deal with reigning AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander.
The deal is set to be a two-year, $86 million pact between New York and Verlander, a lucrative short-term contract for the 40-year-old hurler with a third-year vesting option. Talk about making a statement and answering big time.
Verlander returned from Tommy John surgery that kept him out of the 2021 season with Houston to be as dominant as ever. He won the Cy Young with the Astros as he finished the season with an 18-4 record, 1.75 ERA and absurd 220 ERA+.
He now reunites with Max Scherzer on the Mets as the two veterans were teammates on the Detroit Tigers, most notably in a dominant 2013 season.
Mets sign Justin Verlander after losing deGrom: Best memes and tweets
With such a monster signing by a team like the Mets, you know fans of the team and baseball had plenty of thoughts and jokes after it was reported.
Justin Verlander on the Astros vs. Justin Verlander on the Mets: pic.twitter.com/B4QwwfJOZe
— Ben Heisler (@bennyheis) December 5, 2022
.@StevenACohen2’s press release regarding the Mets signing Verlander: pic.twitter.com/xSO827KbWs
— Tim Reilly (@LifeOfTimReilly) December 5, 2022
Verlander and Scherzer at the top of the Mets rotation.
— Talkin’ Jake (@TalkinJake) December 5, 2022
Father Time = Undefeated.
Would love to see the old men make a couple runs come October doe but that’s a tough ask ! https://t.co/nIG5Hf01zv
Verlander will somehow pitch at a Cy Young level at age 56. https://t.co/FSxcD2e1FF
— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) December 5, 2022
The New York Mets are paying Max Scherzer & Justin Verlander $86M in 2023
— Trent (@Trenciarte) December 5, 2022
The Atlanta Braves will pay Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Ronald Acuña Jr, Ozzie Albies, Travis d’Arnaud, Michael Harris, & Spencer Strider $74M
https://twitter.com/notpetealonso/status/1599580968092061697
POV: You're Steve Cohen and people are trying to dunk on you for dropping $86 million on Verlander. https://t.co/vJ591fvfba
— ritz (@ritzdeez) December 5, 2022
I’m gonna be completely real I’d rather have Verlander on that contract than DeGrom on the one he got.
— Payton J. Havermann (@paytonisnotroll) December 5, 2022
If Justin Verlander facing a Dave Dombrowksi built team in the World Series wasn’t enough, now Verlander and Max Scherzer are once again teammates in the same division as the team Dombrowksi is the architect of. https://t.co/nLvkmc1Pnt
— Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) December 5, 2022
Don’t forget that Justin Verlander and Kate Upton flipped off Phillies fans during the World Series. They’re going to fit in just fine with the Mets… pic.twitter.com/yptAz9m4gI
— Tim Reilly (@LifeOfTimReilly) December 5, 2022
There are two general sentiments that ring pretty true. First, it seems likely that the Mets might’ve made the better choice to sign Verlander to this deal given his health and dominance off of surgery last season rather than locking up injury-plagued deGrom on a five-year contract.
Outside of that, though, it is a bit odd that the Mets are now relying on two aging aces with Verlander and Scherzer, who will be 40 and 38 years old, respectively, on Opening Day for the 2023 season. But if they can stay healthy and in their recent form when they’ve been on the bump, New York is still going to have one of the best 1-2 starting pitching punches in baseball.
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