How Justin Verlander Felt About Mets Trading Max Scherzer To Rangers

The Mets entered the 2023 Major League Baseball season with two future Hall of Famers atop their starting rotation, but they now are down to one.

New York, which is in line to miss the postseason after entering the campaign with massive expectations, officially traded Max Scherzer to the Rangers on Sunday. Scherzer chose to lift his full no-trade clause in order to leave Queens for Texas, a sign that he’s not all that optimistic about the future of the Mets franchise.

Justin Verlander now might find himself in the same boat. Verlander, who signed an expensive two-year deal with New York last December, admitted he was “a bit surprised” by the Scherzer trade, which made him reassess his future with the Mets.

“Max was obviously supposed to be an integral part of this team next season, one of our starting pitchers, so when you see that happen, you can’t help but think what’s in store for next year,” Verlander told reporters, per Sports Illustrated. “It changed my opinion a little bit. It was tough to see it happen.”

It wouldn’t be terribly surprising if Verlander is moved before Tuesday’s deadline. The Mets took a big step toward a rebuild by dealing Scherzer and it could take another by following suit with Verlander, who will turn 41 before the start of next season. And at this stage in his career, one has to imagine Verlander would welcome a trade to a prominent World Series contender.

Perhaps that landing spot could be Verlander’s old stomping grounds in Houston, where there reportedly is “intensifying” interest for the three-time Cy Young Award winner.