5 Mets roster questions to answer before the August 1 trade deadline

Where has the time gone? July is nearly over. It seems like only yesterday the New York Mets were dying in June. July began with a brief resurrection until reality bit.

The Mets aren’t good. They’re not going to go on an impossible run. They’re going to sell at the trade deadline. August 1 will be here before we know it and the front office needs to answer these five questions.

1) NY Mets roster question: Is the team better with or without Justin Verlander next year?

If the Mets are going to hit the reset button, trading Justin Verlander makes sense. Clear out some salary. Get something of value in return. Add two starting pitchers in the offseason with the money they’d pay Verlander.

It sounds easier than it actually would be. The optics of parting ways with him this quickly into year one of his deal won’t do the Mets any favors either. The organization remains unstable in the management department. Keeping a veteran like Verlander around can help create some semblance of familiarity within the organization while sending an outward message to free agents.

Verlander is 4-5 with a 3.47 ERA this season. These aren’t Verlander numbers. They’re passable for a mid-rotation arm which is something the Mets haven’t always had the easiest time at finding.

The upside of what Verlander can give the Mets next year is too important to think about before doing anything drastic with him. Three of his losses this year came in a Mets shutout where he went 5 innings and 3 earned runs or less. 

The question: Are the Mets a better team with or without Justin Verlander on the roster next year?

The answer: They’re better. Keep Justin Verlander because it’s no easy task to replace him even if his 2023 performance hasn’t met expectations.