It’s not over until it’s officially over. But, heck — it sure looks like the Mets should pull the plug on this season after another dreadful performance against the Red Sox. While New York lost two of three at Fenway Park, more Mets trade rumors continued to surface with the deadline about a week away.
Since this is one of those times of the year when rumors start flying left and right, I thought it was good to condense the nonsense. Here are four rumors that have surfaced regarding the Mets over the past few days.
Dodgers are eyeing Mets outfielders
The Mets have a lot of veteran players on deals that will expire at the end of 2023 or 2024. That’s a natural starting point for a team on the fence about being a trade-deadline seller.
Two of those dudes include Mark Canha (team option for ’24) and Tommy Pham (free agent this winter). We heard last week that they’re garnering decent interest in the trade market.
The Dodgers are reportedly keeping an eye on them as they’re looking for some right-handed hitting help. This report came from Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. He also mentioned David Robertson as a pitcher they’d be interested in if the Mets made him available.
Giants keeping tabs on Justin Verlander
Justin Verlander had an inconsistent start to his 2023 campaign. However, the hurler has begun to find his stride with the Mets. Over his last five starts (31 innings), JV has posted a 1.74 ERA with 26 strikeouts. He’s also completed at least six innings three times during this span.
Making him and/or Max Scherzer legitimately available in trade talks will be tricky because of their high annual salary and full no-trade clauses. Plus, we heard JV just say last week that he’s still committed to the Mets and trying to win a title in New York (I mean, what else was he gonna say, though?).
But still, that won’t stop the San Francisco Giants from keeping tabs on his status over the next week. This rumor was first reported by MLB Network’s Jon Morosi:
Sources: The Giants are among the teams evaluating Justin Verlander as a trade deadline candidate, should he become willing to waive his no-trade clause. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 22, 2023
Mets view themselves as ‘measured sellers’
Trade rumors can change from day to day, or even minute to minute depending on how good or bad a team is performing. As of Sunday morning, ESPN’s Buster Olney said this on Sportscenter (h/t Bleacher Report):
What I’m hearing from sources this morning is, the Mets at this moment are measured sellers. Veteran players on short-term deals are players that they will talk about moving. Guys like Mark Canha, Tommy Pham, David Robertson. Yes, they will talk about Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, but remember those guys have full no-trade clauses. They would have to okay any proposed deal.
Would Mets trade an outfielder to the Phillies?
If the Mets do start selling off players, Pham is obviously one of New York’s most attractive bargaining chips (depending on his health). He’s not only worked his way into regular playing time but he’s only owed the balance of his $6 million salary before hitting the open market this winter.
We already mentioned the Dodgers being interested, and they surely won’t be alone. Besides Los Angeles, USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale mentioned the Phillies as another potential suitor:
The Phillies are targeting a right-handed corner outfielder in the trade market them, and would love to land Pham from the Mets.
A trade within the division is a hard sell. But it’s unlikely the Mets would have to see Pham on the Phillies for years to come. Plus, New York and Philly have hooked up to make trades in the recent past, too. The last ones I remember included sending Asdrubal Cabrera and Jose Bautista to the Phillies in separate deals during the 2018 season.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
