The 2023 New York Mets have been laid to rest, and the MLB trade deadline was the final nail in their coffin.
Fans, along with legendary Mets player and broadcaster Keith Hernandez, have been left stunned and devastated with just how disastrous the season has been.
The Mets entered the season with the highest payroll in MLB history and had true World Series aspirations. Following a remarkable 101-win season a year ago, they reinforced their bullpen and rotation with signings like Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, and Jose Quintana.
Failing to win the World Series would be considered a failure. Missing the playoffs would be a complete disaster.. But surrendering in July has cemented them as one of the biggest busts in baseball history.
The aftermath of trading away former Cy Young pitchers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer during the deadline fire sale left Keith Hernandez, a Mets Hall-of-Famer, feeling surprised and frustrated.
Appearing on SNY’s pregame show, Hernandez expressed his astonishment at just how south the Mets season has gone.
“I can tell you, I’ve never experienced this kind of demolition in my playing career and in my years in the booth. This is just a total restructuring here and a total going for youth,” Hernandez admitted.
Keith Hernandez joins @gappleSNY on Mets Pregame to discuss the Mets' trade deadline moves, if he was surprised by the deals, and how he views the rest of the season pic.twitter.com/DIUnN88sVk
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 1, 2023
Mets fans had hoped that with Owner Steve Cohen’s deep pockets, the dark days of the past would be behind them.. They never thought they’d be encountering the darkest days of all.
“What’s surprising is they’re six games out of the Wild Card spot, and there’s two months left in the season. So, I thought with Scherzer, Senga, Quintana back, and Verlander, that’s a solid four starters to run out there every five days, that I thought they had a chance to make a run. But it’s not gonna happen,” Hernandez admitted.
Where do you rank the 2023 Mets among the most disappointing teams in baseball history?
They make this year’s Padres look like the 1927 Yankees.