An anonymous Mets player spilled the tea on Justin Verlander's and Max Scherzer's brief time in New York. Talk about pitcher drama.
It wasn't enough for the Mets to lose to their rivals by a football scoreline this past weekend. No, the New York Mets just had to sink one level lower following gossipy rumors surrounding Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.
The two veteran pitchers were brought to the Mets within the last two years to help the team contend for a championship. Turns out, a lot could go wrong with a $364 million roster, and the Mets ended up shipping Verlander and Scherzer out to the Astros and Rangers, respectively.
Everybody lives happily ever after, right? Not so much. Two weeks after the trades, an anonymous Mets player tattled on Verlander's and Scherzer's time in New York and called Verlander a "diva" who was detached from his teammates.
Per the NY Post's sources, Verlander also complained about the Mets' sub-par analytics department and had a "strained" relationship with fellow veteran Max Scherzer.
It wasn't exactly a claws-out catfight between the two pitchers, but the two didn't seem so friendly, either.
Verlander's and Scherzer's egos clashed over a decade ago when they played together for the Detroit Tigers, and the same feelings of animosity may have resurfaced this past season.
Mets player spills beans on Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer drama
Trading two of their most expensive roster pieces made the Mets look bad. The fallout of those trades also makes the Mets look bad. Can't they ever catch a break?
We'd personally love more details on the "diva" attitude of Verlander, a three-time Cy Young winner and heavily speculated spoiled brat. From what the sources say, it seems like tense emotions bubbled under the surface for most of the 2023 season as neither Verlander or Scherzer got involved in much headline-making drama.
One would assume each pitcher was focused more on improving his respective game.
Verlander's 3.15 ERA and Scherzer's 4.01 ERA were both disappointing numbers that fell far short of the team's expectations this season. Throw in Verlander's "diva" attitude and Scherzer's continued exasperation, and the Mets were about to have a nuclear PR explosion on their hands.
Good thing the Mets got rid of those stars when they did. The two seem to be happier on their new teams, and the Mets get their own chance to start fresh, which includes rebuilding their bruised team culture. No more divas on Steve Cohen's payroll, one can only hope.
