MLB Rumors: Juan Soto reunion rebuffed, Mets starter good as gone, JV chasing ghosts

September is officially here, meaning that the dog days of August are over and postseason races are fully formed. Most divisions outside of the NL Central appear up for grabs, and both Wild Card races will be fun to follow too.

There might not be nearly as many MLB rumors now as there are in the offseason or around the trade deadline, but the rumor mill never really sleeps.

With that in mind, Bob Nightengale of USA Today (subscription required) came through with the latest going on in MLB. Here are the rumors most worthy of your attention on this fine Sunday afternoon.

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MLB Rumors: Justin Verlander chasing fun, but unrealistic goal

For the better part of two decades, Houston Astros starter Justin Verlander has been one of the best pitchers in the majors. He's a nine-time All-Star, a three-time Cy Young winner, and even has an MVP on his ledger despite being a pitcher.

Most pitchers might be satisfied with a stat line like the one Verlander has, but the right-hander has one more goal he'd badly like to accomplish.

"Astros Cy Young winner Justin Verlander badly wants to become just the 25th pitcher in baseball history to reach 300 victories, and the last since Randy Johnson in 2009."

That's a lofty goal, but if anyone were to do it, Verlander would be the safest bet right now. He's the active leader with 260 wins -- Max Scherzer ranks second with 216.

There's just one problem. Verlander might be the safest pick to get to 300, but how realistic is it?

"He has 260 victories, and would need to average about 13 victories a season for the next three years."

Here's where things get complicated. Verlander is still 40 wins away from 300, and is 39 years old. If he were to average a tick over 13 wins over the next three seasons he'd get there, but how realistic is it that Verlander will pitch through his age 42 season? Even if he does, how realistic is it that he'll pitch enough to get to 300 wins, and/or be effective enough to win those games?

If health wasn't an issue perhaps Verlander could get there, but he hasn't made more than 28 starts in a single season since 2019 - that's five years ago. This season, Verlander has gone 3-4 with a 4.16 ERA in 12 starts, missing substantial time due to a pair of injuries and taking a step back when he's been healthy enough to take the mound.

Simply put, too much will have to break in Verlander's way for him to even come close to 300 wins at this point. It might be foolish to count out a future Hall of Famer, but this goal appears to be too lofty as of now.

MLB Rumors: Mets breakout starter set to test free agency

The New York Mets have been one of the most surprising teams in the majors this season in large part because of their starting pitching. Despite being without Kodai Senga for all but one start, the Mets' rotation ranks 17th in the majors with a 4.16 ERA as of this writing. That might not be stellar, but considering the personnel, especially without Senga, that's been a major reason why they've been able to remain in the postseason hunt.

The pitcher who has stepped up in Senga's absence the most is unquestionably Sean Manaea, who looks like the clear-cut ace of this staff right now. The southpaw has a 3.51 ERA in 26 starts and 143.2 innings of work this season, and has only been getting better, posting a 2.87 ERA in his last six starts with 48 strikeouts in just 37.2 innings of work. He has dominated teams in postseason positioning like the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, and Arizona Diamondbacks in this recent stretch of brilliance.

The result of Manaea looking as good as he has, especially recently, is that he is able to look ahead toward this offseason. He has a $13.5 million player option for the 2025 season, but Nightengale reveals that he's almost certainly going to opt out and test free agency.

"New York Mets starter Sean Manaea, barring unforeseen circumstances, will opt out of his contract and hit the free agency market for the third consecutive winter, putting him in line for a lucrative multi-year contract."

This has unequivocally been the best season of Manaea's career thus far, and the 32-year-old will have the chance to cash in this winter. The Mets could (and should) look to keep him around past the 2024 campaign, but Manaea will (and should) see where his best fit is. The Mets will need rotation help whether Manaea re-signs or not, so this whole situation should be an interesting one to follow.

MLB Rumors: Juan Soto reunion destination rebuffed

The New York Yankees took a massive gamble this past offseason. They traded a haul to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Juan Soto knowing fully that this is his final year of club control and with Scott Boras representing him, he's going to test free agency. For the most part, this gamble has paid off for the Yankees. Soto has had his usual MVP-caliber production, and the Yankees currently sit in first place in the AL East.

While things have gone well for Soto in the Bronx, it's far from certain that he's going to stay there long-term. In fact, when the Yankees played against Soto's first team, the Washington Nationals, this past week, some talk began to heat up about Soto potentially making a return to D.C.

On the surface, it makes a lot of sense - almost too much sense. Soto loved his time in D.C., and the Nationals have an emerging core that could be ready to win very quickly if a dynamic talent like Soto joined them. Unfortunately, a reunion doesn't appear to be in the cards per Nightengale.

"Please, enough with the narrative that the Washington Nationals will try to sign Juan Soto and bring him back to the organization."

Tell us how you really feel, Bob. The fit makes sense, but it sounds like the Nationals won't even attempt to bring Soto back. Considering the fact that Soto already reportedly rejected a $440 million extension when he was with their organization and that his price has only gone up since, it's hard to really blame them if they're unwilling to exceed the $440 million mark.

The Nationals don't appear to be a realistic destination, but that doesn't mean he's set to re-sign in the Bronx either.

"He's signing with the New York Yankees or New York Mets, although the Toronto Blue Jays and perhaps San Francisco Giants will at least make an attempt."

Yet another MLB insider believes this will be a bidding war between the two New York teams. Whether teams like the Giants and Blue Jays can actually make things interesting remains to be seen, but there are two certainties that come from what Nightengale wrote. The Mets and Yankees will both be very interested, and the Nationals will not be a factor.