MLB fans left stunned as San Diego Padres emerge as shock destination for $86,666,666 Justin Verlander

The San Diego Padres have emerged as a shock destination for $86,666,666 veteran Justin Verlander
The San Diego Padres have emerged as a shock destination for $86,666,666 veteran Justin Verlander

The 2023 MLB Trade Deadline is only hours away but there is still no clarification on the Justin Verlander saga.

Last year's AL Cy Young winner has been the headline maker of this trade window, despite joining the New York Mets only last offseason.

The Steve Cohen-owned outfit entered the season with the highest wage bill in the league. Expected to challenge for the NL East pennant and remain competitive during postseason, the Mets find themselves 17.5 games behind in their division. They face an uphill battle to simply make the playoffs, being six games behind in the NL wild card race.

Having realized the hard way that money doesn’t guarantee success, the Mets are prepared to trade their biggest assets with the hope of building for the future. Only two days ago, ace Max Scherzer’s move to the Texas Rangers was confirmed in return for shortstop prospect Luisangel Acuña.

Justin Verlander is next in line, with the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers lurking. However, it seems like those aren’t the only two teams interested in securing the veteran’s.

According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, the San Diego Padres have emerged as a shock destination for Verlander.

"One mystery team on Justin Verlander has been uncovered: the San Diego Padres" - Jon Heyman

Fans across the league seem quite surprised by this update, with the Astros and Dodgers being favorites to land Verlander in recent days. The Padres find themselves in turmoil just like the Mets, being 8.5 games behind in NL West and five games out of a wild card berth.

Justin Verlander Trade Rumors: Can the San Diego Padres pull off a deadline day shocker?

It would be really surprising if the Padres managed to land the nine-time All-Star before the trade deadline. Verlander has a complete no-trade clause, and it is unclear whether he would be willing to waive it for the Padres.

San Diego has a talented team that could go on a winning streak and catch up in the standings. Getting someone like Verlander would make their challenge of getting into the playoffs somewhat easier, but it would still be surprising.

The Padres, like the Mets, have a pretty high payroll of their own, so Verlander's contract is another aspect they need to consider. Verlander signed a two-year, $86,666,666 contract with the Mets last offseason.

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Edited by Souvanik Seal
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