Report: Justin Verlander Spoke With Mets Last Week
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Former Houston Astros starter and 2022 Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander is looking for a new home in MLB free agency. Nearly every team is looking for pitching help, but not many can afford what Verlander will command.
One of the teams that can, the New York Mets, met with Verlander over Zoom last week according to a report from The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
The Mets are due to lose ace Jacob deGrom if they cannot offer a deal that has enough years or a high enough AAV to appeal to the oft-injured pitcher. In the case they can't, they very well may pivot to Verlander as the answer.
Of course, the issue remains that they already have an aging and high-dollar starter on the roster in Max Scherzer. Adding Verlander might be a short-term solution, but many fans will be wary of a 2023 performance from Verlander that could induce questions about a decline, much like Scherzer's in 2022. Scherzer pitched just 145.1 innings last season after dealing with multiple injuries.
That being said, nothing is even close to being a done deal and the Astros would very much like him back. Owner Jim Crane has a candid relationship with Verlander and knows what it will take to retain him. Whether he meets that asking price remains to be seen, but one can bet that he will at least try.
The market for Verlander is heating up, all that remains to be seen is who will meet his asking price.
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