Mets Star Duo Reportedly Among Best Players Possibly Available Ahead Of Trade Deadline

There are plenty of questions swirling around the New York Mets right now. 

New York at one point seemed likely to contend for a World Series title this season but things haven't gone as planned. The Mets currently are in fourth place in the National League East with a 47-54 record and have lost three of their last four games. With the 2023 Major League Baseball Trade Deadline under a week away, New York likely will look different shortly. 

Rumors have swirled for weeks that clubs could have interest in New York's star pitching duo of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, although it's unclear if a move is in the cards. Whether or not the Mets decide to make a move, Scherzer and Verlander reportedly are the third and sixth-best potential pitchers available, according to MLB.com's Thomas Harrigan. 

"Is Cy Young Verlander fully back? Maybe not, but we’ve learned by now not to doubt the right-hander, who has recorded a 1.46 ERA over his past six starts and cracked the 97 mph threshold with his fastball for the first time all season earlier this month," Harrigan said about Verlander. 

"Scherzer is 38 years old and hasn’t been great this month (5.25 ERA) or this season (4.20 ERA), but this is still Max Scherzer we’re talking about. There’s no way we were putting him any lower than this, especially considering he hasn’t lost his ability to punch out hitters. He’s rung up nearly 30% of the batters he’s faced since May 26."

Harrigan noted the trade likelihood for both Verlander and Scherzer is medium at this point. There are still a few days remaining until the trade deadline and speculation is sure to build. Scherzer and Verlander both are expensive and on the older side so it may be difficult to find a trade partner, but both are future Hall of Famers and could help any contender. New York likely will hold to the stars as the club hopes to contend next season but at this point, anything could happen.