3 offseason Mets moves the rest of the NL East should be jealous of

3) NY Mets should make the Braves fans jealous of the Justin Verlander signing

The Braves, jealous of the Mets? How could that be? The team has won a whole lot of division titles over the last 30 years—coming away with only two actual championships. You’d think the Braves were the New York Yankees the way some fans seem to boast. There must be enough satisfaction in seeing your team lose in October. If you’re going to go out, mine as well ruin your Halloween.

There aren’t too many Mets moves for Braves fans to be too jealous of. The addition of Justin Verlander is one of them.

As superb as the Braves rotation is, they saw Ian Anderson collapse in 2022 after a strong showing in 2021. Max Fried looks like he’s bound to leave Atlanta sooner rather than later. Atlanta loves to sign extensions early, but once a player reaches a certain age, they prepare for life without them.

Mets fans can be envious of the young starting staff the Braves have. Together, they look great. Alone, they seem beatable.

Braves fans can deny their desire to have Verlander on the roster. References to his age or underwhelming playoff success will be the norm in 2023 as they try to defend how disinterested they’d be in having him on their roster. It’s a tactic of denial. Who wouldn’t want the reigning American League Cy Young winner in their rotation? On a short-term deal, it’s a risk worth taking. We can only hope it’s Verlander on the mound in October when the Braves see their team lose out again.