Connect with us

Published

on

ARLINGTON, Texas — Max Scherzer never anticipated being traded from the New York Mets, and said the sentiment in their clubhouse was that the underachieving team that had expected to contend for a World Series title this year would reload for 2024.

Scherzer instead found out the Mets were shifting their focus past that date — until after his contract expires. The three-time Cy Young Award winner waived his no-trade clause to be dealt to the Texas Rangers after conversations with New York general manager Billy Eppler and owner Steve Cohen about the team’s plans following his final start for the Mets.

“(Eppler’s) answer was that the team is now kind of shifting vision and that they’re looking to compete now for 2025 and 2026, and that 2024, that it was not going to be a reload situation in New York, and that it was going to be more of a transition in 2024,” Scherzer said when he was introduced by the Rangers on Tuesday, two days after the deal was announced.

Since that was different than what he had previously heard from Cohen, Scherzer called the owner who he said then “basically articulated” the same point that the Mets were identifying a new vision and timeline.

Justin Verlander, another three-time Cy Young Award winner, followed Scherzer to the AL West race on Tuesday, when he returned to the reigning World Series champion Houston Astros in a deal just before the trade deadline.

Scherzer and Verlander were among six players the Mets traded away in the days leading up to the deadline: closer David Robertson went to Miami, reliever Dominic Leone to the Los Angeles Angels, outfielder Tommy Pham to Arizona and outfielder Mark Canha to Milwaukee. They also sent infielder Eduardo Escobar to the Angels in June.

In those deals, the Mets got back 10 minor leaguers — most of them considered promising prospects. New York also acquired pitchers Phil Bickford and Adam Kolarek from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday for cash.

By trading Scherzer, Verlander, Robertson and Canha, the Mets lowered 2023 expenses by about $45 million in salary and tax.

Eppler said after the deadline that the Mets had tried to be strategic to expedite long-term goals and build their farm system.

“You can kind of try to serve the major league team and at some point, when you’re in the circumstances that we’re in, you want to make the best of that situation,” Eppler said. “So for us, that was seeing what opportunities exist and seeing if we could get impact talent.”

Eppler said the Mets will field a competitive team in 2024, though he acknowledged they don’t see themselves having the same odds as they did going into this season and last year, when they won 101 games.

“So now is a time where we start to think about what opportunities can exist in the winter time, what kind of resources we’ll have at our disposal and put our best foot forward,” the GM said.

Asked about Scherzer’s comments, Eppler said he didn’t want to discuss their conversations publicly.

“It’s a repositioning of layers of assets in the organization. We’re trying to build a sustainable system, for years to come,” Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor said.

New York’s record-high payroll was a projected $365 million just more than a month ago, but that hasn’t bought a winning team. The Mets went into Tuesday night at 50-55, which was 17½ games out of first place in the NL East and six games — and several teams — below the final wild-card spot.

The Mets are paying Texas $35.51 million over the next 14 months as part of the Scherzer trade, leaving the Rangers in effect responsible for $22.5 million owed to the 39-year-old pitcher through next season. Scherzer opted in for 2024 before the deal with the Rangers was completed.

Robertson had already been traded to Miami for two minor leaguers before Scherzer made his final start for New York on Friday night. Scherzer said he was already getting texts from players he knew across the league talking about trade offers and asking if he would accept them.

The Mets will send Houston around $35.5 million at least, covering a majority of the remaining roughly $57.5 million Verlander is guaranteed. New York will pay around $4.2 million this year and $31.3 million in 2024.

If Verlander pitches 140 innings next year and triggers his $35 million conditional player option for 2025, the Mets would pay another $17.5 million if Verlander exercises the option.

After winning the World Series and AL Cy Young Award with the Astros last season, the 40-year-old pitcher signed an $86.7 million, two-year deal with the Mets in December that includes the vesting option for 2025.

“The Mets, we went into the season with high expectations. Rightfully so. We had a very good team. Unfortunately, we didn’t play up to it,” Scherzer said. “And because of where everybody’s at within their contract situation, age, everything, Billy and Steve, they had a different vision now. The math changed on them.”

Texas sent the Mets minor league infielder Luisangel Acuna, a brother of Atlanta Braves All-Star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. The Astros shipped top outfield prospects Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford to New York. The Mets got a minor league pitcher from Milwaukee for Canha.

“We certainly expected to win a lot more games than we did,” Canha said. “I think that’s a super-talented team. It’s a great organization and I don’t think they’re out of the race yet, by any means. … But the deadline comes up and a team has to make moves and that’s what happens.”

Continue Reading

Sports

Rockies closer Halvorsen (elbow strain) put on IL

Published

on

By

Rockies closer Halvorsen (elbow strain) put on IL

DENVER — The Colorado Rockies have put closer Seth Halvorsen on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow strain after he had to leave Saturday’s win over Pittsburgh.

Interim manager Warren Schaeffer said at the time the injury didn’t look good — following the right-hander’s exit after throwing five pitches in the ninth inning. Halvorsen leads the Rockies with 11 saves.

Colorado also recalled right-hander Nick Anderson and catcher Braxton Fulford from Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday, and the Rockies optioned infielder Michael Toglia to Albuquerque.

The 25-year-old Halvorsen is 1-2 with a 4.99 ERA this year. He made his big league debut in August of 2024.

Continue Reading

Sports

Brewers’ Miz scratched from start, placed on IL

Published

on

By

Brewers' Miz scratched from start, placed on IL

Milwaukee Brewers All-Star rookie Jacob Misiorowski was placed on the injured list with a left tibia contusion prior to his scheduled start against the Washington Nationals on Sunday.

Misiorowski told reporters that he anticipates missing about two starts and being ready to go after the 15 days. The IL move is retroactive to Thursday.

The right-hander took a liner to the shin off the bat of the Chicago CubsSeiya Suzuki in the first inning of his last start Monday. Later in the inning, after fielding a dribbler in front of the mound, Misiorowski’s knee buckled as he threw wildly to first and two runners scored.

The 23-year-old Misiorowski stayed in the game, pitching three more innings before coming out after 80 pitches.

Misiorowski is 4-1 with 47 strikeouts in 33⅓ innings this season.

In a related move, the Brewers recalled right-hander Logan Henderson from Triple-A Nashville, and he is expected to start against the Nationals on Sunday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

Braves-Reds showcase at Bristol stalled by rain

Published

on

By

Braves-Reds showcase at Bristol stalled by rain

BRISTOL, Tenn. — It was a red flag for Major League Baseball at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night.

The Speedway Classic between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds was suspended in the first inning because of rain, soaking a record-breaking crowd for the first regular-season game in Tennessee. The plan is to resume the game on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

The first delay at the historic bullring of a racetrack came after the ceremonial first pitch featuring a pair of Hall of Famers in Johnny Bench and Chipper Jones, joined by NASCAR drivers Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott. The second with one out in the bottom of the first led to the game being pushed back a day.

Fans who stuck out the first delay of 2 hours, 17 minutes started heading toward the exits before the game was postponed with the Reds holding a 1-0 lead.

It was an unwelcome detour for the long-planned event mixing baseball and NASCAR.

“We’re going to suspend tonight’s game. … We are optimistic for a better weather forecast for tomorrow,” Michael Hill, MLB’s senior vice president of on-field operations, told Fox.

The rain made life difficult on the players before the suspension. A bat flew out of TJ Friedl‘s hands as he led off for the Reds. A pitcher seemed to catch his footing going to cover first base.

The Speedway Classic was announced nearly a year ago as part of commissioner Rob Manfred’s push to take MLB to places where baseball isn’t played every day live. MLB played a game at the “Field of Dreams” movie site in Iowa in 2021 and 2022. Games have been held in Alabama and North Carolina too.

Reds pitcher Andrew Abbott showed up Saturday afternoon at Bristol wearing a cutoff version of a NASCAR race suit. Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Abbott said he wanted something to wear in for a special game.

“I grew up around NASCAR,” Abbott said. “Just went on eBay and found a couple options, and luckily that was the one that arrived in time. I had a couple of backups. I know who Rusty Wallace is too, so I actually do know the backstory behind it.”

Long before the fans departed in the rain, they were entertained by a 110-foot Ferris wheel along with food trucks, live music, pitching tunnels and batting cages. Fans also had a chance for photos with the Commissioner’s Trophy and Clydesdales outside the historic racetrack.

Inside, star Tim McGraw performed and was joined by Pitbull.

Before the weather moved over the area, players stood in the back of pickup trucks with their numbers emblazoned on the side and rode around the half-mile racetrack. Some used their phones to document the moment. For introductions, the Braves and Reds walked between a pair of cars decked out in Atlanta and Cincinnati colors.

Then the tarp came out as rain that had been falling around Bristol much of Saturday turned heavy and delayed the start.

The first delay led to the Braves switching starting pitchers. Spencer Strider, who grew up in nearby Knoxville, got a bigger ovation than Reds starter Chase Burns, who is from Hendersonville and played at the University of Tennessee. The Reds stuck with Burns despite the delay.

Strider warmed up. The Braves chose not to risk his third start in this situation coming off a second elbow surgery and turned to Austin Cox.

The rain stopped long enough to take off the tarp and start the game.

Michael Waltrip, who raced plenty at Bristol, restarted the festivities by quoting his brother Darrell: “Boogity, boogity, boogity. Let’s play baseball, boys!”

Atlanta went down in order in the top of the first inning. But there was another rain delay after Austin Hays hit an RBI single for Cincinnati in the bottom half.

MLB didn’t try to sell every ticket inside the speedway that drew 156,990 for the Battle of Bristol college football game in 2016. The track with a racing capacity of 146,000 could host 90,000 or more even with sections blocked off.

Officials announced Monday that more than 85,000 tickets had been sold, topping the previous paid attendance of 84,587 set Sept. 12, 1954, when Cleveland Stadium hosted the New York Yankees.

A batter has to clear 400 feet to hit anything out of center field, 375 in the alleys and 330 down each baseline. Pulling a ball down the line raises the prospect of a ball bouncing off the racetrack beyond the outfield wall.

“Honestly, my first thought: I can’t believe they did all this for one game,” Braves first baseman Matt Olson said of his first visit to Bristol. “To be able to set all this up, get a playing surface ready, set the stands up in order to have the proper viewing, it’s pretty incredible.”

Continue Reading

Trending