Some exciting news for the New York Mets. Just days after losing Jacob deGrom, the Mets have responded fairly quickly, agreeing to a two-year contract worth $86 million with Justin Verlander. The deal supposedly consists of a vesting option for a third year in 2025.
This report has come from many sources within the last few minutes. Andy Martino of SNY, Jeff Passan of ESPN, Joel Sherman of The New York Post and MLB Network, Jon Heyman of The New York Post, and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic have all confirmed Verlander to the Mets.
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What signing Justin Verlander means for the Mets:
The Mets simply had to have an ace at the top of their starting rotation for their 2023 World Series chances. Verlander is coming off of a dominant 2022 with an 18-4 record and a 1.75 ERA en route to being a World Series champion.
Verlander’s age is the main concern for many. He will turn 40 shortly before the start of next season. However, he showed recently in the World Series just how great he can still be on the mound.
And for the Mets, in win-now mode, the time to be aggressive for a player of Verlander’s age is now. Especially considering the few other alternative options out there to replace deGrom. This was simply a need the Mets could not go without addressing.
The worth of the contract in terms of average annual salary ($43 million) is nearly identical to what the Mets gave Max Scherzer (43.3 million) this time a year ago. Verlander and Scherzer rejoin as former teammates for five years (2010-14) with the Detroit Tigers.
In this pivotal offseason, getting Verlander signed is a big first step for the Mets. The Mets were never going to match the five years that deGrom got, and they needed to act swiftly in this market for an ace. Verlander is an exciting signing for the Mets at this time and should have at least one more great year ahead.