Lately, some Mets rumors from Mark Feinsand of MLB.com point in the direction of the team potentially dealing Justin Verlander before the August 1 trade deadline.
According to two MLB executives, there is a belief Verlander could end up traded. Along with stirring up those Verlander rumors yet again, Feinsand names the Texas Rangers as the number one contender to land him.
Trading for Verlander in the absence of Jacob deGrom would more than make up for the absence of the former Mets ace with another.
The Mets enter the weekend at 48-54, trailing the Reds by seven games for the final spot in the NL Wild Card race. New York is also looking up at four other teams – the D-backs, Marlins, Cubs and Padres – behind the three Wild Card leaders.
Verlander is in the first year of a two-year, $86,666,666 million contract with the Mets, a deal that also includes a conditional $35 million player option for 2025. The right-hander has a full no-trade clause in the contract, so he can’t be traded anywhere without his approval.
The frontrunner for Verlander, according to one source, would likely be the Rangers, who are said to be seeking rotation help and are taking an aggressive approach to the Trade Deadline.
