Justin Verlander trade talks continue between Mets and Astros, a deadline day move likely?

It’s unclear how likely a deal is to go through. Nightengale notes that the Dodgers remain in the running, for example. There’s also the matter of Verlander’s high contract and his no-trade rights, though the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner is certainly very familiar with Houston. Astros general manager Dana Brown said on MLB Network Radio this afternoon that the club was no longer prioritizing adding to the rotation; Rosenthal writes that Houston owner Jim Crane could engage in discussions to try to bring Verlander back.

More broadly, The Athletic’s Chandler Rome wrote on Twitter that Houston is now focused on the rotation again. The Astros expect to welcome Jose Urquidy back from the 60-day injured list this week, reducing the need for a major signing. Of course, a Verlander acquisition would be much more than that.

It’s a fascinating situation two days after the Mets traded Max Scherzer to the Rangers. Verlander could very well follow his former teammate out of Queens, and it appears there is genuine interest on the part of the Astros in making him a direct contender for the AL West title. Verlander has a 3.15 ERA despite an average strikeouts rate of 21% in 16 starts. He is making $43.333 million in each of the next two seasons and has a $35 million player/validity option for the 2025 campaign. The Mets would certainly have to cough up some cash, as they did with Scherzer, but they appear to be willing to do so as they look to continue adding upside to the farm system.

The Astros and Mets continue to discuss possible trades for Justin Verlander, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. Rosenthal writes that New York is trying to trade the future Hall of Famer before tomorrow night’s deadline. Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that negotiations between Houston and the Mets have accelerated in the last day.

SNY’s Andy Martino wrote that a deal between the Astros and Mets isn’t imminent, though it’s certainly possible that negotiations could still pick up steam.