Justin Verlander has no time or patience for post-game questions: "F**k ESPN"

When the New York Mets signed 2022 Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander to a 2-year deal worth $86 million, the deep-pocketed team tied their own record for the most lucrative contract ever.

However, things did not originally turn out as the Mets had wanted. A major muscle strain kept Verlander out of the lineup for the first month of the season.

Although New York compiled a winning record in April, it was not enough to put them within striking distance of the red-hot Atlanta Braves, who were putting some serious distance between themselves and the rest of the NL East.

After the New York Mets' 2-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on May 21, the mood among the team's players was markedly improved. The win represented their fifth straight and closed the gap to just 4.5 between them and the first-placed Braves.

During a post-game interview with ESPN, Francisco Lindor faced questions on the team's performance as Verlander's voice could clearly be heard in the background. The 40-year-old was telling his teammate to hurry up and could be heard saying, "F**k ESPN!" after realizing that the interview was preventing Lindor from entering the clubhouse

Watch the exchange below:

Awful Announcing

@awfulannouncing

Justin Verlander called for the hook on Francisco Lindor's ESPN postgame interview.

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Justin Verlander called for the hook on Francisco Lindor's ESPN postgame interview. https://t.co/QRJNRKUSEg

Both players were fantastic on the night, with Justin Verlander allowing just one run across eight innings and Lindor contributing a home run toward his team's win. In four starts with the Mets this season, Verlander has a record of 2-2 and a 3.60 ERA.

With his massive signing, Verlander was to join former teammate Max Scherzer and a host of other arms to make up the most dynamic rotation in baseball. Mets owner and billionaire Steve Cohen evidently likes to spare no expense.

SNY Mets

@SNY_Mets

Double play to end it! The Mets sweep the Guardians!

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Double play to end it! The Mets sweep the Guardians! https://t.co/OrJhKbZyf0

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Justin Verlander and the Mets are starting to smile again

As the team with the largest payroll in baseball, the expectations on the shoulders of the New York Mets are mammoth. With their early-round playoff exit last season, many were starting to see them as a perennial disappointment.

Although plenty of roads are still left to traverse, the light-hearted mood exhibited by Justin Verlander's tongue-in-cheek heckling shows that the Mets feel they can finally breathe again, which may be a troubling sign for the teams that lay in their path.

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