The Mets are better off with Justin Verlander than they would’ve been with Jacob deGrom, says stephapstein
. Of proven pitchers, only co-ace Max Scherzer was guaranteed to return, after deGrom exercised his opt-out, as did No. 3 starter Chris Bassitt; No. 4 starter Taijuan Walker became a free agent, as did closer Edwin Díaz, top setup man Adam Ottavino and reliable relievers Trevor May, Trevor Williams and Seth Lugo; and the club had to decide whether to pick up its option on No. 5 starter Carlos Carrasco.
The pivot to Verlander is good news for Mets fans. The team’s other free-agent option for a frontline starter to pair with Scherzer probably would have been Carlos Rodón, who at 29 is a decade younger than Verlander but who only in the past two years produced the kind of dominant results that made him the No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft and who is thought to be seeking at least five years.
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