It's time for the Mets, armed with a new ace, to focus on the ones who want to be here
The Mets have a new ace after signing Justin Verlander. Plus, how it's time to focus on the players who want to be in New York after the deGrom aftermath.
What’s Up with the Mets? 🍎
The Mets reportedly signed RHP Justin Verlander to a two-year, $86 million contract with a third year vesting option
New York has continued to show interest in Japanese RHP Kodai Senga (MLB Network)
The Rockies are no longer a suitor for CF Brandon Nimmo but the Yankees intend to meet with him today in San Diego, and his market includes 8-10 teams (The Athletic, New York Post, SI)
Adonis Medina - who pitched for the Mets last season - is close to signing in the Korean League (MHN Sports)
Andrew Heaney has multiple three-year offers, but is looking for a fourth year (New York Post)
Winter Meetings ❄️
The Winter Meetings are underway at the Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California. The event will run through the conclusion of the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday, with Mets manager Buck Showalter being made available to the media tonight at 7:20 PM ET.
In addition, MLB will hold their first ever draft lottery tonight at 8:30 PM ET among the clubs which didn’t reach the playoffs in 2022.
Just Mets Offszn Show 🎙️

Justin Verlander, unlike deGrom, wanted to be here and that’s what matters now ✍🏻
In the aftermath of Jacob deGrom spurning his former team to go to the Rangers and the Mets rebounding by signing Justin Verlander, there have been a lot of mixed emotions around these parts.
While the Verlander acquisition is certainly exciting, it’s been difficult for some fans to fully enjoy and embrace it just three days after their homegrown Hall of Famer decided to say farewell. That move on Friday still has some, myself included, in a weird state of shock. While it’s clearly been a possibility for some time that deGrom could go elsewhere, I’m not sure many fans were ready for that eventuality. It’s admittedly been difficult to process.
But as the smoke has begun to clear, one thing stands out — Jacob deGrom did not want to be here anymore, and nothing was going to change that.
DeGrom has every right to do what he deems best for himself and his family, and what he does in free agency does not make him a bad person — business is business, yada yada — but this fact will ultimately be what most people are able to use to cope with his departure. He didn’t want to be here. DeGrom left a 101-win team, now armed with an infinite budget, to play for a club that finished 33 games behind them this past season in the standings.
All due respect, Bruce Bochy, but that’s a decision that’s got nothing to do with wanting to win.
And at the end of the day, whether it was just overall fatigue by being in one organization for so long, deGrom’s resistance to forming any sort of relationship with Steve Cohen or his reported anti-vaccination stance that made him grow tired of the northeast, the reason doesn’t matter anymore.
At this point, it is time for Mets fans to do their best to stop focusing on those who don’t want to be in New York and shift it to the ones who do. Justin Verlander, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, wanted to be here. He left the two-time World Series champion Astros to come to New York. And you can say that the Mets were willing to offer him more money than Houston and that the dollars are all it came down to, but let’s not overlook this — Verlander chose the Mets over the Dodgers.
The Dodgers, whose pockets are just as deep and who have had far more sustained success over the last decade, have now lost out to the Mets in back-to-back offseasons on Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, two Hall of Fame aces that chose to be here over anywhere else.
Things are not what they once were in Flushing. Yes, it’s sad that a future Hall of Famer that you drafted and developed is gone, but the Mets are now an organization that no longer has to cry over spilled milk. This is a franchise that can pivot and be aggressive and does not have to beg on their hands and knees for players to come (or stay) here anymore.
The Mets are building themselves to be a perennial winner and those who want to come along for the ride are more than welcome — they’ll certainly be compensated for it by Steve Cohen, too. And those who don’t simply aren’t worth the stress or the energy anymore.
It’s New York or nowhere. Have fun in Texas.
Hot Stove 🔥
The Cubs - who have entered the market for elite shortstops - have had recent conversations with Carlos Correa (670 The Score)
The Padres, Diamondbacks, Guardians and Giants are all in on Christian Vázquez’s market, who is seeking at least a three-year contract (Boston Globe)
The Cubs are also showing interest in a trade with the A’s for Sean Murphy (MLB Network)
The Pirates are in the market for starting pitching (Athletic)
The Red Sox are pushing to sign reliever Tommy Kahnle, and have made Bobby Dalbec available in trade (Mass Live, Boston Sports Journal)
The Phillies are looking to find mid-to-back of the rotation starting pitching (Philadelphia Inquirer)
The Marlins have expressed interest in signing Justin Turner (Miami Herald)
If you can believe some of what was written, NY media may have had something to do with Jake wanting out. Not happy about bringing a player from a cheating team aboard, I don't care how good he is. And why have we not yet signed Nimmo? Where is the live and loyalty? I thought Brandon made it pretty clear that he wants to be here.
If Jake is really an anti-vaxxer, good riddance.
What stings us New Yorkers is the idea that anyone could possibly not want to be in NYC. At an intellectual level, we know not everyone wants to live here, same as not everyone wants to live anywhere. But on an emotional level, we are incredibly parochial and just cannot stand the idea that anyone would want to play anywhere but here. Especially somewhere like Dallas.