Justin Verlander trade: 4 teams that could trade for Mets star ranked least to most likely
By Josh Wilson
Justin Verlander trade destinations: Tampa Bay Rays
I fiddled around with the order here, originally having the Dodgers ranked as more likely than the Tampa Bay Rays. I think, if the Dodgers, Astros and Rays make equal offers, Verlander will choose either LA or Houston. Verlander has a no-trade clause, so two teams need to agree plus Verlander needs to sign off. And as we saw with Scherzer yesterday, it’s not just as simple as liking the destination.
The problem is, I’m not so sure the Dodgers will submit an offer for Scherzer.
The Dodgers just acquired Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly from the Chicago White Sox, the former of which is a starting pitcher. There’s not quite as much of a need for the West Coast team to add Scherzer to the mix, and I think that will bring the price they’re willing to pay down below what the Rays and Astros ceiling will be.
That makes one sleeping giant slightly more likely, in the end, but it’s hard to tell how likely they might be.
The Rays have been tied to Marcus Stroman, but with him off the trade market as the Cubs are on a blistering hot streak, they may need to look to add starting pitching elsewhere. Why not Verlander?
Other than price, there’s no reason not to pursue this.
The thing that would hold a deal like this back is Verlander himself. The star pitcher has that aforementioned no-trade clause and Tampa can be a polarizing destination for fans and players alike. If Verlander values an environment that might get him another shot at a World Series and believes the Rays to be the best place for that, perhaps he waives it for Tampa.
I think there’s a far more likely landing spot, however.