Buckle up for more Mets trade news
With Thursday night’s trade of David Robertson to the Miami Marlins, the Mets front office knew that it conceded the 2023 Wild Card race in favor of seizing an opportunity to bolster the farm system.
The next few days until the Aug. 1 trade deadline will bring several more deals. Of that, there is no doubt. “It’s going to be busy,” said one source with knowledge of the Mets’ thinking.
Here’s the latest, as of midday Friday:
-- Justin Verlander is generating moderate interest, but it is far from certain that he will be moved. The Mets are willing to talk about Verlander when other teams ask, but have not yet come close to asking the veteran to waive his no-trade clause. The team values what Verlander could contribute in 2024, and believe Verlander and his family to be happy in New York.
As MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported, a reunion with Houston is one possibility for Verlander. The Angels are also looking for more starting pitching, and have been scouting the Mets, as have the Reds and other clubs.
-- As of Friday, Max Scherzer is less likely to move. The reason is simple: Clubs scouting him have been less than impressed with the quality of his stuff.
-- Mark Canha and Tommy Pham are generating interest, and are likely to be traded.
On a related note, and as SNY reported Wednesday, the Yankees are looking for a right-handed hitting left fielder to pair with Jake Bauers and Billy McKinney. The Mets and Yankees have an ongoing dialogue -- Brian Cashman is Billy Eppler’s mentor -- and discussed a Robertson trade this week.
-- Catcher Omar Narvaez is very available. So is Brooks Raley, but the team holds an option on him for next year, so would need a larger return.
-- In light of the Dodgers/Nolan Arenado talks, I asked a Mets person if the team would consider dealing Brett Baty for Arenado. I was told that they would not. Baty remains the third baseman of the future, even though the team would like to see him hit the ball in the air more and improve defensively.
-- Despite the white flag on an expensive and once-promising season, Eppler remains in good standing with his boss, owner Steve Cohen. It could get ugly for the next two months, but Eppler isn’t going anywhere.
