2 traded NY Mets players who will make a playoff run, 2 who won't make the postseason

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The New York Mets had a more active trade deadline than expected thanks to some deals involving more than their rentals. They shipped players out to a mix of first place clubs and those looking up at the final wild card spot.

The Mets will play out the final games of their 2023 regular season schedule outside of the postseason. As it turns out, so will a few of the players they traded.

At least a couple of the Mets they traded away will make it to the playoffs. Can they pull off a deep postseason run? Can these other two defy the odds and actually make it into the playoffs or will they be done just as quickly as the Mets?

Former NY Mets pitcher Justin Verlander is bound for a deep playoff run with the Astros

The Houston Astros reacquired Justin Verlander in what was the most stunning of the trade deadline moves of all. It wasn’t until Friday when it looked like the Mets were ready to start trading more than their players on expiring contracts. Dealing Verlander never seemed like a possibility. The trade deadline got closer. The rumors picked up.

Because the Mets were willing to eat such a significant portion of the money owed to Verlander, a deal with the Astros was able to get done. He’s now thrust back into a pennant race yet again in Houston only a few months after helping them take down the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.

The Astros will have a tougher time this year in what looks like a far more stacked American League. Within their own division is a tough team with the other ex-Mets player poised for a deep playoff run.

Former NY Mets pitcher Max Scherzer will have a shot at postseason redemption in Texas

The first trade to really shake up the Mets in an unexpected way sent Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers. They seem as tough as anyone in MLB this year. Their “all-in” approach during the offseason continued to the trade deadline when they sought out another Mets ace to replace the one they lost for the year, Jacob deGrom.

Mets fans might not have much of a rooting interest in the American League West, but the addition of Scherzer onto the roster competing alongside the Astros for a division title adds a whole lot of intrigue. It’ll be exhausting for the rest of the year with the chance of us seeing both ex-Mets battle it out.

Moreover, what’s it going to feel like to see an ALCS game started with Verlander facing off against Scherzer?

It’s practically a guarantee the Astros and Rangers make it to the playoffs. How deep will the two make it? An all-Texas ALCS would be wild with a stronger storyline added in because of the connection of Verlander and Scherzer. It was already in existence because of the pair being former teammates with the Detroit Tigers. Add in their time with the Mets and how it all ended, we’ll know baseball is scripted if these two go toe-to-toe in an elimination game this October.

Former NY Mets pitcher David Robertson won’t be going to the playoffs with the Marlins

David Robertson already blew a game for the spiraling Miami Marlins. One of baseball’s bigger surprises this year, they’ve been exposed over the last few weeks as a much more average team than their record says they are. Would anyone be all that surprised if the Mets somehow caught them? Maybe that’s a little too ambitious, but it’s hard to see how the Marlins can keep up with other clubs in the wild card race.

In fact, there are teams behind who’ve spent a lot of the year behind the Marlins who might be better. The Chicago Cubs refused to sell and are one of the longer shots to catch them. The San Diego Padres, a team that has underachieved almost as greatly as the Mets this year, could do the same.

Unfortunately for Robertson, he was sent to a team with a slim shot at making it to the playoffs. The Marlins did buy at the trade deadline, but the kind of significant upgrade made by the already superior Astros and Rangers wasn’t executed.

When Robertson was traded by the Mets, fans were ready to welcome him back next year. Seeing as the team might have plans to wait and contend in 2025 eliminates that plan. Instead, Robertson will go down as one of those impressive one-year Mets who left before we were ready to say goodbye.

Former NY Mets outfielder Tommy Pham will fade along with the Diamondbacks

The trade deadline the Arizona Diamondbacks had was a weird one. They sold longtime free agent Mets fan favorite Andrew Chafin to the Milwaukee Brewers but also added outfielder Tommy Pham to the roster. They kind of bought and sold in a season where they probably should’ve done a light buy or look to acquire some more controllable pieces. Whatever. That’s their problem.

After holding the NL West lead for much of the year, the Diamondbacks have faded in the last month or so. Losing a couple of games to the Mets definitely played a factor.

Pham has now been involved in two straight curious deadline moves in back-to-back years. If you recall, the Cincinnati Reds traded him to the Boston Red Sox in 2022. They were big sellers. At least the Diamondbacks are trying to compete, somewhat.

The Diamondbacks have as much of a chance as the Marlins at making the playoffs which isn’t so great if you believe in teams like the San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Cincinnati Reds or Milwaukee Brewers depending on who you think takes the NL Central.

Arizona didn’t do a whole lot to get better at the deadline. Pham, about to enter free agency again this winter, can at least continue to raise his free agent stock.

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