NY Mets: 4 monstrous trade packages for Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer
By Mark Powell
As the New York Mets come to terms with a selling mentality, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer are on the trade block.
It’s been a disappointing season for the New York Mets, but the team is in a decent position to retool for the 2024 campaign, should they make the right decisions.
Trading the likes of Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer — two pitchers in their 40’s chasing a ring — would be wise. In terms of pure numbers, Scherzer has had a down year by his standards, and the Mets may have to eat some of his contract in order to secure a decent return. Verlander, however, has come on of late, featuring a 3.47 ERA and five straight starts of at least five innings and three or less runs allowed.
No-trade clauses certainly complicate the situation at hand. But both aces can be persuaded in the right situation. These Mets are an unlikely postseason threat. Why not spend their final years playing for a surefire contender, rather than wasting away in Queens?
It’ll take some convincing.
MLB Rumors: A Mets-Astros trade for Max Scherzer
As familiar as Justin Verlander is with Houston, he chose to left the Astros this offseason for a reason. A return feels unlikely at this juncture. However, the Astros need pitching, leading us to the natural fit of Max Scherzer.
In this trade, the Mets would acquire Melton — the No. 2 prospect in the Houston system — along with Whitley and Baez. Whitley has dropped significantly down the Astros prospect rankings due to injury and big-league struggles. He’d be an instant project in New York. Baez is only 19 years old and inked a $1.2 million international signing bonus. Clearly, the Astros see something in him and he’s due to rise up the ranks in the years to come.
Frankly, it’s not a steep ask, as the Mets are trading away a former Cy Young winner and another top deadline candidate in Canha for no top-100 prospects, as Houston’s system is rather weak.