“I didn’t want to leave”
The major leagues heated up with the trade deadline approaching this year as well. Initially, if the LA Angels and Shohei Ohtani’s accompaniment received the most attention, the Angels reversed their stance and turned all eyes to the New York Mets. This is because the Mets, who have spent an astronomical amount of 700 billion won prior to this season, with no possibility of advancing to the postseason, have turned to sellers.메이저사이트
The Mets, who showed off their ‘big hands’ and swept players without hesitation, were bold even when they let their players go. The Mets started by breaking up with David Robertson, the “finisher,” and ended their partnership with Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, the “43.33 million dollar (approximately 56.1 billion won) duo” boasting the highest ransom in the major leagues. Even in the process of letting Cy Young legends go, the Mets even added money for ‘salary assistance’.
When the Mets sent Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers, they paid $35 million (approximately 45.3 billion won), which is part of the salary for this year and the 2024 season. And in the process of trading Verlander to the’parent’ Houston Astros, $17.5 million (approximately half of the 2025 season option, which is automatically executed when you play 140 innings in the 2024 season), as well as part of $35 million this year and next year’s salary. 22.6 billion won). Even in a situation where he had no choice but to part with the best pitchers, he took on 87.5 million dollars (approximately 113.4 billion won).
Although the possibility of advancing to the postseason has disappeared, what is the reason the Mets suddenly turned into a ‘seller’? This could be seen in Scherzer’s remarks of ‘210 wins’, which was held at a press conference after moving to Texas. According to multiple media outlets in the United States, Scherzer told local reporters after the Washington Nationals game on the 29th of last month that he would like to have an opportunity to discuss the direction of the team with general manager Billy Eppler. It was because of the contact Scherzer received.
Multiple major league clubs contacted Scherzer, saying, “Our team is offering a trade. Do you have any intention of breaking the no-trade clause?” In response, Scherzer asked the question in a conversation with general manager Eppler, “Do you want to give up this season and rebuild the team for the 2024 season?” But the answer from Eppler was “no”. “What we’re aiming for now is 2025-2026. The 2025 season is the fastest case, and we’re moving to win the championship in 2026,” explained Eppler.
Here, Scherzer asked, “So you’re not going to sign free agents (free agents) this offseason, and you’re not going to build a team that’s aiming for the 2024 World Series?” “We are not moving to sign players. The free agent contract for 2024 is just a small one. 2024 will change a lot.”
Scherzer met with owner Steve Cohen and had a conversation, but only the story he heard from general manager Eppler came back intact. “If the Mets were going to win in 2024, I didn’t want to leave,” Scherzer said. “I bought a house, I liked New York. I said I would waive the no-trade clause,” he explained.
After Scherzer was traded to the Texas Rangers, Mets players, including ‘signature hitter’ Pete Alonso, were shocked. And Verlander was also affected. In an interview with the local media after Scherzer’s departure, Verlander said that if the Mets did not seek to win in 2024, he could give up his right to veto the trade and move the team at any time, and returned to Houston just before the trade deadline.
The implications of Scherzer’s interview are clearly significant. The Mets is a team that wrote a new history of major league payroll with the financial power of ‘billionaire owner’ Steve Cohen, and a club that invested 700 billion won in Stove League in 2022-2023. It was also chosen as the team with the highest possibility of entering the match for Ohtani, who will obtain FA qualification after this season. Although he has never directly expressed his interest in Ohtani, his financial power beyond imagination has always been one of Ohtani’s expected destinations.
However, with the Mets giving up trying to win the 2024 season and aiming for 2026, the chances of Ohtani entering the scout are rapidly diminishing. Ohtani is highly likely to win the American League MVP and home run title this year. The expected ransom is expected to exceed 400 million dollars (approximately 519 billion won) and 500 million dollars (approximately 648.7 billion won). If the Mets don’t participate in Ohtani’s bid, it could affect Ohtani’s ransom as competition diminishes.