Two of the main World Series favorites are reportedly talking to the New York Mets about a potential trade for star pitcher Justin Verlander.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Mets have held “trade discussions with” both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros. Verlander was previously with Houston from 2017 to 2022 before signing with the Mets last winter.
On Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and FOX Sports also reported that the Astros continue to hold discussions about reacquiring Verlander.
The Mets signed Verlander in the winter with the hope that he could be the final piece of a World Series championship team. But the NL East club has been one of baseball’s biggest disappointments this year, and they officially entered seller mode by dealing Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers on Saturday.
Verlander has been a steady presence for the Mets, posting a 6-5 record with an ERA of 3.15 to go along with 81 strikeouts in 94.1 innings pitched. With Houston, Verlander went 61-19 with an ERA of 2.26, and he helped the team to World Series championships in 2017 and 2022.
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Houston enters Tuesday as the No. 2 wild card team in the AL with a record of 60-47, but they’re also just half a game behind Texas for the AL West division lead. As for the Dodgers (59-45), they’re 2.5 up on the surging San Francisco Giants for the NL West division crown.
