Just yesterday, we learned that the owner of the New York Mets, Steve Cohen, did not close the door to side with the sellers by the deadline for transactions on August 1st.
Even if it were to prove, it will not be a cakewalk for general manager Billy Eppler, if he is still in office at this time of course.
It is that many players of the New York formation have a clause allowing them to block certain transactions, which will considerably complicate the task of the staff.
A fire sale could involve multiple players, including Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Starling Marte, Francisco Lindor, Tommy Pham, David Robertson, Adam Ottavino and Mark Canha, to name a few.
Even first baseman Pete Alonso could be used as bait, he who is under the control of the team until next year.
At the start of the season, no one would have believed that we would be talking about Mets stars in this context, but Cohen is realistic and risks choosing this avenue if things don’t turn around.
The problem? Among them, several have a non-trade clause, including Scherzer and Verlander, or can block a possible transaction to certain MLB teams, such as Lindor.
In Scherzer’s case, it looks like he’s ready to waive his clause. But will it be the same for others?
Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: Eppler will have his work cut out for him if the Mets were to venture into the shaky ground of a sell-off.
