Justin Verlander Trade Rumors: Insider reveals Mets possibly asking for a very high price, Astros and Dodgers in serious talks
Justin Verlander's move away from the New York Mets has reportedly hit a roadblock ahead of the August 1 trade deadline.
The 2023 MLB trade deadline has already witnessed several big names change teams over the last few days, with the Mets' veteran pitcher also attracting interest from several teams.
The Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers have emerged as the frontrunners in the race to capture the ace pitcher from the Mets.
However, Verlander's hefty salary seems to have halted any potential deal ahead of Tuesday's deadline.
On Verlander:
Yes the Astros are in on him, the Dodgers have been as well.
The Mets ask is expected to be high, I’m told.
One of the top hitting prospects + one of the top pitching prospects as part of the framework.
The money to pay his contract down is a factor. The Dodgers… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
NBC's Ari Alexander reported that the Astros and Dodgers are still in talks of landing the reigning AL Cy Young winner despite monetary issues surrounding the deal:
"The money to pay his contract down is a factor".
He is currently earning around $43 million a year, with $17 million still to be paid for 2023. He also has a $35 million vesting/player option for the 2025 campaign.
"The Dodgers can likely absorb more of the money than the Astros, and their system is stronger. $17ish mil left in 2023, $43 mil in 2024, $35 mil vesting option in 2025. Potentially up to $95 million in money to discuss."
Although Verlander's acquisition will make the Astros favorites for the AL West title, the Dodgers' financial superiority makes them the likely suitors in the current scenario:
"There are a lot of factors that would make this a difficult deal to get done for the Astros."
Justin Verlander's exit seems imminent ahead of the trade deadline
Verlander's exit felt imminent after the New York Mets traded former teammate Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers a couple of days ago.
If the Mets want to remove the future Hall of Famer from their roster, they will need to spend some money, similar to what they did for the Scherzer deal.
According to reports, the Mets will receive one of the top-hitting prospects, along with one of the top pitching prospects in return for the veteran pitcher.
Astros GM Dana Brown had stated the team wasn't looking to add to their rotation, but recent developments paint a different picture altogether.
A move to the Astros would make sense for the veteran pitcher as his major MLB success came while representing Houston from 2017 to 2022.
The nine-time All-Star won two World Series rings with the Houston club in a highly successful stint with the AL franchise.