Former MLB GM makes wild Mets trade suggestion

Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden wrote on Friday that the New York Mets should consider trading their two aces (and pair of multi-Cy Young Award winners), Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.

Bowden, who is now an MLB analyst, insider and writer for The Athletic, argued that both the St. Louis Cardinals (31-44) and Mets (34-40), should be in "sell" mode as the Aug. 1 trade deadline approaches.

While New York may already be out of the divisional race at 14 games behind the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves, they're a much less scary seven games back of a wild-card berth. Still, with 88 games left in the regular season, Bowden says that "in some situations, it’s better for a GM to 'give up' on contending in the current season, if in doing so you significantly bolster your chances of winning in the next year—and beyond."

"Yes, the Mets still have a shot at the wild card. But through more than 45 percent of the season, they have the exact same record as the Pirates, a rebuilding club that’s coming off two straight 100-loss campaigns," the former Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals GM wrote.

Bowden admitted that his suggestions to move on from both Scherzer and Verlander (plus his recommendations for St. Louis) will likely be "unpopular with most fans," but it also "eventually might make sense if the Mets and/or Cardinals decide to sell."

Bowden's ideal Verlander destination is in Los Angeles with Dodgers, while his best Scherzer fit is with the Reds.

With as high expectations as the Mets have had in recent years coming into the spring, it might be premature to suggest sending off their two best pitchers (even if they haven't performed like it yet.) New York may be running out of time to fight for contending status and shift to "buy" mode though.

Bowden clearly thinks the Mets 2023 season is already, or close to, a lost cause. He writes that sending off the pair of hurlers with a combined 17 All-Star honors and six Cy Young Awards could pay dividends in the near future though.

"Dealing one or both of Verlander and Scherzer would be unpopular, but the Mets would instantly get younger and it would create more payroll flexibility," Bowden wrote. "Maybe owner Steve Cohen’s spending has no limits, but the salary savings—even with the Mets eating some salary in potential deals—would allow GM Billy Eppler to reallocate and maybe make a better offer for Shohei Ohtani, or make other moves, in free agency. Sometimes, you have to do an unpopular deal before you’re stuck with an aging, under-.500 team."