Heading into the Houston Astros game today, the Astros and New York Mets are feeling great about their blockbuster trade at the deadline that sent Justin Verlander back to Houston. While the Astros are happy to have their Cy Young Award winner back, it appears some Mets players are simply glad Verlander is gone.
Verlander, age 40, signed a two-year contract worth $86.66 million this offseason with New York. The Mets were willing to offer more than Houston after losing Jacob deGrom to the Texas Rangers. So, Verlander left behind the team he won two World Seres rings with to try and help the Mets win a championship.
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Instead, New York entered the All-Star Break far further down in the MLB standings than anyone anticipated. The Mets’ playoff hopes were over midway through a season when they set a record for highest payroll in a season. Ultimately, the front office decided to reset the roster at the trade deadline by moving Verlander, Max Scherzer, Tommy Pham and David Robertson.
While several of the players New York traded were well-liked in the Mets’ clubhouse, players knew by early July that a firesale was inevitable. However, it appears New York’s clubhouse was more than ready to move on from Verlander after just a few months.
A current Mets player told Mike Puma of the New York Post that Verlander was a “diva” in New York. The Cy Young Award winner’s behavior reportedly caused friction with Max Scherzer. In addition, the unidentified Mets player said Verlander routinely complained about the Mets’ analytics department.
“Verlander often complained about the Mets’ analytics department, which he deemed inferior to the one that served him in Houston. “
Anonymous New York mets player on Justin Verlander (via Mike Puma)
The teammate went on to add that Verlander never truly made himself part of the clubhouse, detaching himself from teammates. Unlike Scherzer and former New York starter Chris Bassitt, he didn’t seemingly look for ways to make himself a fixture in improving the clubhouse’s chemistry.
Whatever issues Verlander might’ve had in New York aren’t concerns in Houston. The future Hall of Fame received a warm reception after being traded back to the Astros, fitting into the clubhouse and he meshes with the organization’s approach to baseball operations.
With the Astros surging in the MLB playoff picture and the Mets having successfully improved their farm system, both teams should come away from the deal very happy with the move they made. However, only Verlander and his Astros teammates will likely be playing baseball in October.
