Max Scherzer Requested Trade from Mets After Learning Team Plans to Focus on 2025-26

Max Scherzer was not interested in a rebuild with the New York Mets.

The right-hander told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic that conversations with Mets owner Steve Cohen and general manager Billy Eppler about the team's long-term plans convinced him to waive his no-trade clause before he was moved to the Texas Rangers:

"I talked to Billy. I was like, 'OK, are we reloading for 2024?' He goes, 'No, we're not. Basically our vision now is for 2025-2026, '25 at the earliest, more like '26. We're going to be making trades around that.'

"I was like, 'So the team is not going to be pursuing free agents this offseason or assemble a team that can compete for a World Series next year?' He said, 'No, we're not going to be signing the upper-echelon guys. We're going to be on the smaller deals within free agency. '24 is now looking to be more of a kind of transitory year.'"

Scherzer wasn't the only one who was told similar information:

That is quite the change in approach from this season for the Mets.

After all, they had the highest payroll in the league and figured to be among the top contenders for a World Series crown after going 101-61 in 2022. Instead, they are an ugly 50-55 and in fourth place in the National League East.

Scherzer explained he would have been happy to remain with the Mets if they were retooling with an eye on competing next season.

"That's a completely different vision from what everybody had in the clubhouse," he said. "All the players had a vision of, we reload for 2024. That was no longer the case."

New York's approach became even more apparent Tuesday when it agreed to trade Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros for outfielders Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

While Clifford in particular is a highly regarded prospect who should help the team in the future, Verlander was under contract through 2024 with a vesting option for 2025 and could have been a major reason New York was competitive next season.

Scherzer's comments are all the more notable when considering the upcoming offseason.

If the Mets are looking to avoid the most expensive free agents, that would presumably take them out of the running for Shohei Ohtani if and when the Los Angeles Angels star hits the open market.

It could also mean a handful of more disappointing seasons for the fanbase after an abysmal 2023 effort relative to expectations.