Astros, Mets Agree To Justin Verlander Trade

[ificandream]

Source: MLBTradeRumors.com

1:48pm: The Mets and Astros are in agreement on a trade sending Justin Verlander from New York back to Houston, reports USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com had reported about a minute prior that the two teams were close to a deal. Houston will send two minor leaguers back to the Mets in the trade, Nightengale adds.

Verlander, 40, was with the Astros from 2017-22 and departed as a free agent this offseason to sign for a record-tying annual value in Queens. His two-year, $86.666MM contract tied his former Tigers teammate Max Scherzer’s $43.333MM AAV on a three-year deal with the Mets, but the reunion between the two future Hall of Famers will only prove to last a few months before being spun into a rivalry. The Mets shipped Scherzer to the Rangers on Saturday and will now send Verlander to Texas’ top division rival.

1:55pm: Top outfield prospect Drew Gilbert is going to the Mets in the trade, tweets Feinsand. Nightengale adds that minor league outfielder Ryan Clifford is also going to the Mets in the deal.

2:55pm: Nightengale tweets that the Mets are paying as much as $54MM to the Astros — assuming Verlander’s option vests. (It’s not yet clear what they’d pay if it fails to vest.) Verlander is still guaranteed $14.444MM this year, plus $43.333MM next year and a potential $35MM in 2025, for a total of just under $93MM. The Astros, then, would be on the hook for only $39MM in total between now and 2025, should Verlander’s option ultimately vest. For luxury purposes, the Mets will still be taxed on any money shipped to Houston.

Read more: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/08/mets-trade-justin-verlander-astros.html

[underpants]

1. Goochland's own Justin Verlander

You will never hear a sports report around about him that doesn’t include that phrase.

Well looks like the Rangers and Astros are gearing up.

[Auggie]

2. The rich get richer

[Diamond_Dog]

3. Yep.

[Auggie]

4. Wow. Guardians dumped Bell and his contract

One of the players they got in return from the Marlins was infielder Jean Segura.

From Clevelqand.com: Segura will not report to the Guardians, as Cleveland will absorb the remainder of his 2023 salary along with his $8.5 million salary for next season and a $2 million buyout for 2025, according to president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti. Bell has a player option worth $16.5 million for next year, meaning the Guardians will save about $6 million in the exchange.

They traded Bell for a player they didn't want or needed to save $6 million.

Also picked up a highly rated infield prospect Kahlil Watson. Insurance I think if Arias doesn't pan out. I expect them to promote SS Rochhio soon.

[Diamond_Dog]

6. Antonetti has been busy

It’s a lot to take in.

[RussBLib]

5. The salary amounts are getting absurd

If Verlander, at $43mill/yr, pitched every 5th game of a season, that's about 32 starts over the season. Add in 6-8 starts thru the playoffs to win the World Series, and he'd still be making over $1M per start.

Break it down: using $1M per start as a base...

100 pitches per game (a bit on the high side) yields $10,000 per pitch. What? Fewer pitches make each pitch even more valuable. It's nuts.

Still, as an Astros fan (who has not contributed even a penny to the Astros bottom line in the last 10 years) I'm thrilled to have him back in Houston.

Hearing this was much more shocking than Trump's indictment for J6.