Re-grading the 2023 Justin Verlander NY Mets-Astros trade two summers later

It's easy to forget, but the New York Mets seemed far away from the playoffs at this point two years ago. At the All-Star Break of 2023, they were 42-48, 18.5 games back of the first-place Braves and seven games behind the Giants for the final Wild Card spot, with four teams ahead of them. Their dreams of making the playoffs were going up in smoke, and it appeared very likely that they were going to be sellers at the deadline.

At the deadline, the Mets made several trades; however, none was bigger than the one that sent Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros in exchange for prospects Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford. This trade came just seven months after the Mets inked him to a two-year deal. However, how good of a trade was this for the Mets just two years after it was made?

Justin Verlander trade grade as of 2025: B

At the time of the deal, this seemed like an excellent move for the Mets. Both Gilbert and Clifford had a lot of hype surrounding them during the 2023 season. Gilbert was the third-best prospect in the Astros' system according to MLB Pipeline. Clifford was the sixth overall prospect for the Astros after just being drafted in the 11th round of the 2022 draft. It appeared the Mets had landed two high-upside prospects for a pitcher who had little future with the club. That's why many originally gave this deal an A.

Flash forward two years, and it's been two completely different stories for Gilbert and Clifford. Since entering the Mets organization, Gilbert's performance has tanked the value he has as a prospect. In his time in the Mets' farm system, he's slashed .258/.363/.453 with 21 home runs and 95 RBIs. Instead of being viewed as a future corner outfielder for the team, there are questions of whether or not he'll even make the majors.

The only thing that Gilbert has going for him is his recent hot stretch. Since June 1st, Gilbert has a slashline of .262/.346/.526 with eight home runs and 30 RBIs. This has brought his value back up, making him a potential trade piece at this upcoming deadline.

Unlike Gilbert, Clifford has consistently been a top ten prospect for the Mets, sitting between four and six on the rankings. He ended 2023 with the second most amount of homers for a minor league under the age of 20. Over his two and a half seasons in the Mets system, he has a slashline of .223/.356/.430 with 42 home runs and 142 RBIs. He is a three true outcome players who could be a solid MLB contributor.

Although he has high upside, the problem is that there is no position for him on the roster. The corner outfield spots are filled for at least the next five seasons. He's the best spot to be Pete Alonso's replacement; however, with the strong season he's having, he'll likely sign a long-term deal. Sure, he can compete for a DH spot; however, with the plethora of young talent already on the roster, it seems like a long shot.

Despite the uncertain future of both prospects, it was still a good trade for the Mets. Not good enough to retain the original A grade it earned, but it's not a trade that the Mets regret making. That's why it's graded as a B.