New York Mets: 3 potential trade destinations for Justin Verlander

With eight days remaining until the trade deadline, rumors are going to start surfacing more and more. MLBNetwork’s Jon Morosi reported that the San Francisco Giants are evaluating New York Mets pitcher Justin Verlander and whether or not he will be available at the deadline.

Let’s be honest, the Mets are one of the most disappointing teams in 2023 with high expectations at the beginning of the season. They have some company as a disappointing team with the San Diego Padres, but the Friars are starting to make a push in the days leading up to the deadline to prove to their front office that they are worth being a buyer rather than a seller.

If the Mets do decide to trade some pieces, they have some that other teams would be very interested in. Outfielder Mark Canha has some value to a contender, as do relief pitchers David Robertson and Adam Ottavino. It’s highly unlikely that teams would be willing to take on Max Scherzer and his contract at his age and performance this season, but it appears that teams could be interested in Verlander.

At 40 years old, the hard-throwing right-hander missed the first month of the season in New York with a shoulder injury, but since his return, he has gone 4-5 with a 3.47 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 83 innings. Those numbers are not going to jump off the screen at you, but he is just one short year removed as the American League Cy Young winner with the Houston Astros.

Can he get close to his Cy Young form from last season? Unlikely, but if a team can get him to waive his no-trade clause at the deadline and realize that this could be his last chance at a championship, he could be a sneaky good addition to someone’s rotation. With that said, here are three trade destinations for the veteran.

Cincinnati Reds could be a potential landing spot for Justin Verlander

Thanks to a strong June and end to the first half of the season, the Cincinnati Reds have become a serious threat to the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. Young start Elly De La Cruz has brought back the fans in Cincinnati.

One area that the Reds need at least one addition is a starting pitcher. Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo are currently injured and they are trying to patch the rotation together with young arms and some questionable arms.

Ben Lively, Luke Weaver, Andrew Abbott, Brandon Williamson, and Graham Ashcraft are currently their starting five and they are doing their best to keep them neck-and-neck with the Brewers. Can they survive the next two-plus months with the current names above? Not likely, which tells the front office that a starting arm is needed.

Verlander would come in and be a solid No. 2 or 3 addition to the rotation and give the Reds a bolt on the mound. Cincinnati has two paths to the postseason this year, either winning the division to edging out a number of teams for a Wild Card spot. If they are going to either spot, getting an arm like Verlander’s is a must, but getting him to waive his clause for them could be the biggest obstacle.

Toronto Blue Jays could be a potential landing spot for Justin Verlander

On paper, the Toronto Blue Jays have a good pitching staff, but as we all know, games are not won on paper. The struggles of Alek Manoah have been the biggest story and that’s a reason why they could use a top-of-the-rotation starter.

Manoah spent time in the Florida Complex League in June to try and fix his control issues and, in three starts, the hard-throwing right-hander has had two good outings and one not so good, which should be a red flag that he is not the pitcher that he was in 2022 and can be counted on late in the regular season and playoffs if they get there.

Kevin Gausman was been very good this season for the Blue Jays, but after him, the results have been hit or miss. Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios, and Yusei Kikuchi have been inconsistent, but they need more from them because of Manoah’s struggles.

Verlander would slide right to the top of the rotation behind Gausman, but there is some cause for concern in Toronto after Gausman was forced to miss his first start after the All-Star break after feeling discomfort on his left side. The Blue Jays are being really careful and rightfully so, and adding an arm at the deadline is an almost must.