ARLINGTON, Texas — Max Scherzer never anticipated being traded from the New York Mets, and said the sentiment in their clubhouse was that the underachieving team that had expected to contend for a World Series title this year would reload for 2024.
Scherzer instead found out the Mets were shifting their focus past that date — until after his contract expires. The three-time Cy Young Award winner waived his no-trade clause to be dealt to the Texas Rangers after conversations with New York general manager Billy Eppler and owner Steve Cohen about the team’s plans following his final start for the Mets.
“[Eppler’s] answer was that the team is now kind of shifting vision and that they’re looking to compete now for 2025 and 2026, and that 2024, that it was not going to be a reload situation in New York, and that it was going to be more of a transition in 2024,” Scherzer said when he was introduced by the Rangers on Tuesday, two days after the deal was announced.
Since that was different than what he had heard from Cohen, Scherzer called the owner.
“He basically articulated the same vantage point. That was the new vision for the Mets, that was the new timeline that they were identifying,” the pitcher said. “So once it became, that’s the vision for the Mets, then I said, yes, I will waive my no-trade clause underneath those pretenses.”
Justin Verlander, another three-time Cy Young Award winner, then followed Scherzer to the AL West race on Tuesday, when he returned to the reigning World Series champion Houston Astros in a deal just before the trade deadline.
“We did get to talk right there at the end of just understanding that there’s been a vision change in the Mets,” Scherzer said of his twice-former teammate.
New York’s record-high payroll was a projected $365 million just more than a month ago, but that hasn’t bought a winning team. The Mets went into Tuesday night at 50-55, which was 17 1/2 games out of first place in the NL East and six games — and several teams — below the final wild-card spot.
The Mets are paying Texas $35.51 million over the next 14 months as part of the Scherzer trade, leaving the Rangers in effect responsible for $22.5 million owed to the 39-year-old pitcher through next season. Scherzer opted in for 2024 before the deal with the Rangers was completed.
Mets closer David Robertson had already been traded to Miami for two minor leaguers before Scherzer made his final start for New York on Friday night. Scherzer said he had already gotten texts from players he knew across the league talking about trade offers and asking if he would accept them.
The Mets will send Houston around $35.5 million at least, covering a majority of the remaining roughly $57.5 million Verlander is guaranteed. New York will pay around $4.2 million this year and $31.3 million in 2024.
If Verlander pitches 140 innings next year and triggers his $35 million conditional player option for 2025, the Mets would pay another $17.5 million if Verlander exercises the option.
After winning the World Series and AL Cy Young Award with the Astros last season, the 40-year-old pitcher signed an $86.7 million, two-year deal with the Mets in December that includes the vesting option for 2025.
“The Mets, we went into the season with high expectations. Rightfully so. We had a very good team. Unfortunately, we didn’t play up to it,” Scherzer said. “And because of where everybody’s at within their contract situation, age, everything, Billy and Steve, they had a different vision now. The math changed on them. You know, they wanted to be able to flip guys for prospects.”
Texas sent the Mets minor league infielder Luisangel Acuna, a brother of Atlanta All-Star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. The Astros shipped outfield prospects Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford to New York.
Milwaukee sent a minor league pitcher to the Mets to get veteran outfielder Mark Canha.
“We certainly expected to win a lot more games than we did, and unfortunately we had what felt like just one bad month in June. It didn’t work out, unfortunately,” Canha said. “I think that’s a super-talented team. It’s a great organization and I don’t think they’re out of the race yet, by any means. … But the deadline comes up and a team has to make moves and that’s what happens.”
Milwaukee sent minor league pitcher Justin Jarvis to the Mets, who agreed to pay $3.26 million of Canha’s $3.5 million in remaining salary this year.
Arizona sent a shortstop prospect to the Mets on Tuesday for outfielder Tommy Pham. New York got another shortstop prospect from the Los Angeles Angels in return for reliever Dominic Leone.