The New York Mets traded former Cy Young pitcher Justin Verlander back to his former team, the Houston Astros, just before Tuesday’s trade deadline expired.
Verlander’s name had been circulating in trade rumors with other teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles, but it’s the Astros who secured the deal.
Notably, the Boston Red Sox also expressed interest in Verlander, as reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
“They (Red Sox) were one of the teams that at least checked in on Verlander,” Rosenthal revealed on Foul Territory. “I don’t know that Justin Verlander would’ve approved a trade to Boston when he really wanted to go back to Houston, but I checked his numbers at Fenway. They are good. They’re good at most parks, of course. That would have been something really mind-blowing to see Justin Verlander in a Red Sox uniform.”
The @RedSox were one of the teams that went after Verlander 👀@Ken_Rosenthal reports that the Red Sox were involved in some very interesting pursuits.
▶️ https://t.co/wVJXtuT9CM pic.twitter.com/b6nZjnvsmj
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 3, 2023
Despite facing inconsistency and injuries early in the 2023 season, Verlander showcased impressive performances in July, catching the attention of several teams as the Mets decided to undergo a rebuilding phase.
The Red Sox found themselves in a unique position leading up to the deadline. Placed in a distant fourth position in the American League East, they still remained right in the thick of the AL Wild Card race.
Acquiring a top-tier pitcher like Verlander would have provided a significant boost to their playoff chances, given the uncertainty in their pitching rotation.
Most Red Sox fans have expressed anger at the team’s front office and ownership. Simply put, there’s a perception that Owner John Henry has become cheap and has lost interest in competing at the high level he used to.
While the fact that they apparently made a run at Verlander, the bottom line is they didn’t get him.
What are your thoughts about Henry and Chaim Bloom?
Have the Red Sox indeed become cheap?