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Mets trade chips address team possibly selling at deadline

New York Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer address Mets being sellers before trade deadline

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 6/30/23

Advertised New York Mets co-aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander both theoretically could soon become available if owner Steve Cohen decides to sell veterans ahead of the upcoming trade deadline.

"I’ll comment when Steve says, 'sell,'" Scherzer said following Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers that dropped the Mets to a woeful 36-45 record on the season, per Dan Martin of the New York Post. "Until then, it’s pointless. He drives this, so it’s pointless to talk about anything in the contract. I’m here to show up to win. That’s all I’m here to do. I continue to believe that we’re gonna win."

Mets beat writer Anthony DiComo of the MLB website took to Twitter earlier this week to clarify a previous take and said some think Scherzer possibly waiving his no-trade clause to join a contender this summer is possible.

Just to get ahead of this, because I'm seeing my words in today's newsletter twisted: I never reported that Max Scherzer is *definitely* open to waiving his no-trade clause. Just that if things go sideways, folks think it's possible. His absolute priority is to win with the Mets.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) June 28, 2023

That was before Cohen acknowledged on Wednesday his front office will "have decisions to make at the trade deadline" if the Mets don't right the ship and before New York fell to 17-and-a-half games back of the first-place Atlanta Braves in the National League East standings.

Scherzer signed a three-year, $130M deal with the Mets in the fall of 2021 but can opt out of that contract after this season. The three-time Cy Young Award winner entered Friday with a 7-2 record and a 3.87 ERA across 14 starts and 76.2 innings of work.

Verlander, meanwhile, signed a two-year, $86.66M deal that includes a vesting third-year option with the Mets in December and began Friday holding a 2-4 record and a 4.11 ERA in 10 starts and 57 innings.

"Everyone has seen flashes of it and I keep saying if I was on the other side, we would be a team that every time we come here to play, I’d say, 'I hope this isn’t when they click,'" Verlander said about what has become the latest worst team that money could buy. "And as a playoff team, I wouldn’t want to face us."

That's all well and good, but the Mets ended Thursday's MLB action nine games back in the race for a wild-card playoff spot.

"All that being said, it needs to click and we need to make it there," Verlander continued. "I believe in this team, but we need to prove it."

For a piece published Friday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic noted that Cohen "could pay down present and future salaries as a way of effectively buying talent" regarding possible trades involving Scherzer and/or Verlander. If Cohen is willing to take that white-flag step for 2023, the two veterans could spend the next several weeks auditioning for contenders.

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