Unnamed Met Says Justin Verlander Had ‘Diva’ Attitude

The New York Mets made a costly proposition last offseason in signing reigning American League Cy Young winner Justin Verlander.

It appears the cost was more than just money. It might have cost the Mets some chemistry, too.

Now that both Verlander and Max Scherzer are out of New York, more details are emerging about the Mets’ lost season and how it unfolded.

Turns out, at least one Mets player put some of it on Verlander.

That unnamed Mets player told the New York Post that Verlander had a “diva” attitude and that he was detached from his teammates.

That may not be the worst offense in the world. But for a Mets team that was coming off a playoff berth and appeared to have tremendous chemistry in 2022, it might be a factor.

The detachment might also have come from the fact that Verlander was unable to pitch in the regular season until May due to injury.

That same Met also told the Post that Verlander had issues with the Mets’ analytics department. Apparently, the information he was getting from the Mets was not quote to the standard he enjoyed with the Houston Astros.

The Mets traded Verlander to the Astros for outfield prospects Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford at the deadline. One must assume that Verlander his getting the analytics his way now.

Meanwhile, the Post also detailed Verlander’s relationship with Scherzer, who is now with the Texas Rangers.

The relationship wasn’t bad, per se. But the pair of future Hall-of-Famers were teammates in Detroit for a few seasons and they didn’t always get along back then. Turns out, according to the Met, Scherzer wasn’t always pleased about Verlander’s attitude, even though the source said the pair attempted to work toward “harmony.”

Chemistry appeared to be a constant topic throughout the report.

Last year Scherzer and former Mets starter Chris Bassitt were reportedly “free” in offering advice to younger pitchers. That didn’t appear to be the case this season.

Still, when it was clear the Mets were looking toward 2025 and not winning now, both Scherzer and Verlander opted to get out.

For at least one Met, seeing Verlander go wasn’t as big a loss as one might think.