The Giants made a small splash near the 3 p.m. PT Tuesday trade deadline – acquiring A.J. Pollock and Mark Mathias from the Seattle Mariners on Monday – but does Farhan Zaidi have a bigger move in the hopper?
Audacy Sports MLB Insider Jon Heyman joined 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs” Monday to explain why he thinks the Giants are still in contention to acquire Justin Verlander from the New York Mets. The Mets (50-55) are in the midst of blowing up the league’s biggest payroll after dealing fellow right-hander Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers earlier this week.
“There certainly are starters out there,” Heyman said. “Of course, Justin Verlander is still out there and I do expect him to be traded somewhere by 6 o’clock (ET Tuesday).”
Verlander would be an expensive acquisition, as he’s making $43.3 million this season and $43.3 million next season. His $35 million option for 2025 vests with 140 innings pitched in 2024, so that’s a sizeable commitment for the 40-year-old, though the Mets could throw in some cash.
“I would think he’d be a fit and certainly (the Giants) could afford him,” Heyman said. “And we know (Mets owner) Steve Cohen would pay down a lot of it anyways. And (the Giants) do have the prospects.”
Despite being in the twilight of his career, Verlander remains elite. He won the American League Cy Young Award last season with a 1.75 ERA, and totes a 3.15 ERA, 1.14 WHIP with 81 strikeouts and 31 walks in 94.1 innings this season.
Heyman also listed other candidates that may be available at the deadline, including Detroit Tigers Michael Lorenzen and Eduardo Rodriguez, as Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris used to be in the Giants front office. Other possible targets include St. Louis Cardinals righty Jack Flaherty and Pittsburgh Pirates righty Mitch Keller.
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