SAN DIEGO — Justin Verlander became a Met the minute the Rangers signed Jacob deGrom. It took three days to become official. A win-now team needed a front-end starter and the next best option meant getting into a long-term deal with Carlos Rodón.
Spending $86.8 million for two years of a pitcher who turns 40 in February is a cost the Mets needed to pay. Rodón involved more years at a risk and with a lower ceiling. The Mets made sure to keep Verlander just below Max Scherzer, his new and former teammate, as the most expensive pitcher in history—by about $30,000 per year.
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