Justin Verlander was sold on Mets' vision and passion to win
Justin Verlander buttoned his crisp, new Mets jersey with the familiar No. 35 during his introductory media session Tuesday at Citi Field. The question was: Why was he here buttoning this particular jersey?
Why sign with the Mets as a free agent fresh off a third Cy Young Award and a World Series championship after opting out with the Houston Astros? There was other interest.
Sure, the Mets gave the 39-year-old nine-time All-Star 86.66 million reasons in a two-year deal, with a $35 million vesting option for a third. All he has to do is pitch 140 innings in 2024 to earn that option.
But it was about more than just the pay at this stage.
GM Billy Eppler pretty much summed it up for him. Verlander is here to try to help the Mets win first prize.
“I think he wanted to be here and he wanted an opportunity to compete for another championship,” Eppler said. “This guy is at the point in his career where he’s got a lot of awards. He’s on his way to Cooperstown.
“What does he want? He wants more rings.”
The accomplished right-hander is stepping into the rotation after Jacob deGrom stepped out and went to Texas after opting out, as promised.
Eppler reached out early in free agency. Verlander also had a getting-to-know-you conversation with owner Steve Cohen and received what he called “such a positive vibe for what his vision of this franchise is, and that he wants to make this franchise amazing.”
DeGrom agreed on his five-year, $185 million Rangers package on Dec. 2. The Mets moved fast to replace him, agreeing with Verlander three days later.
Besides Cohen and Eppler, Verlander also had spoken with manager Buck Showalter.
“They all share that same vision and passion to do whatever’s necessary to make this a championship-caliber organization again, and really that’s what it came down to for me was wanting to be a part of this vision moving forward,” Verlander said. “Obviously, this organization took a gigantic step forward last year.”
The Mets won 101 games before taking the exit ramp out of the playoffs after the wild-card round. Now Verlander said he’s hoping to “win it all.”
But the Mets hadn’t made some of their other signings before Verlander decided to autograph a contract — Jose Quintana, Kodai Senga, David Robertson and Brandon Nimmo.
“I took a leap of faith,” Verlander said. “And here we are a few weeks later, and I think that leap of faith has paid off.”
So the Mets will again be dealing two aces from the top of the deck, with Verlander and fellow three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer. Eppler is a big believer in the concept.
“I can point to so many examples where you’ve watched championship teams,” Eppler said. “We can look at that type of configuration and know that it’s a pretty good formula, a pretty reliable formula, when you get that kind of pitching in those high-leverage moments.
“That’s something that helps you maybe sleep eight hours the night before the game.”
Verlander underwent Tommy John surgery in September of 2020 and missed the following season before returning in 2022 to deliver one of the best years of his career — 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA.
The 244-game winner said he has been open to new ways to keep his body at its peak and extend his longevity since core muscle surgery in 2014. He turns 40 on Feb. 20.
And he’s healthy and still motivated after pitching 17 seasons in the majors.
After he had the Tommy John surgery, he looked at his wife, model Kate Upton, and said, “I haven’t had a summer off since I was 5 years old.”
“Why would I put in all that time and effort and work and sacrifice and sell myself short at the end?” Verlander said. “It’s like running a marathon and stopping a mile from the finish line. Maybe I’m 10 miles from the finish line; I don’t know.
“… So that’s just my mindset. I feel great. My body feels great. I feel the game will naturally tell me when it’s time to step aside, and I feel like I’m nowhere near that point yet.”
