Mets continue to use Steve Cohen's financial resources to strengthen farm system

Fielding a World Series contender by way of free agency didn't pan out for the New York Mets. However, thanks to owner Steve Cohen's deep pockets, GM Billy Eppler has been able to capitalize on a lost season. 

On Monday, New York traded the third player from its active roster in the last week, sending outfielder Mark Canha to the Milwaukee Brewers for minor league pitcher Justin Jarvis. As part of the deal, the Mets are paying all but the league minimum remaining on Canha’s contract to secure Jarvis, a player that was ranked as Milwaukee's No. 12 prospect by Baseball America. 

Covering salaries to essentially buy prospects has been the Mets' strategy as they reshape their roster for the future. They did the same in the blockbuster trade that saw RHP Max Scherzer head to Texas. Overall, they're getting excellent returns that have strengthened what was a relatively weak farm system. 

In the Scherzer deal, New York agreed to pay more than $35M of the 39-year-old's contract in order to acquire infielder Luisangel Acuña, brother of Braves superstar outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. Acuña, 21, was Texas' third-best prospect and some believe he'll be considered New York's top minor leaguer once rankings are updated. 

A generational pitcher and roughly $35M might seem steep for a prospect, but without sending the money, there was no chance the Rangers would consider Scherzer and his 4.01 ERA. More importantly, Cohen has the financial resources to pull it off without putting much of a dent in his checkbook, and the deadline moves should help New York going forward.

While dismantling the 2023 Mets might appear as a rash decision, Cohen expressed his willingness to implement this strategy in negotiations well before the recent fire sale. 

Back in June, the Mets traded third baseman Eduardo Escobar to the Los Angeles Angels along with all but the prorated league minimum of his salary, which equated to $9.5M. Because of their willingness to cover Escobar's salary, the Mets received a decent return in the form of minor league arms Coleman Crow and Landon Marceaux. 

MLB Pipeline ranks Crow and Marceaux as New York's Nos. 14 and 22 prospects, making it a worthwhile swap for Escobar, whose OPS is .599 since joining Los Angeles. 

The Mets still have trades to make ahead of Tuesday's deadline. Outfielder Tommy Pham is expected to be traded, though all eyes are on ace Justin Verlander's situation. 

According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros are engaged in trade conversations regarding the future Hall of Famer Verlander. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal confirmed Houston's interest in re-acquiring the 40-year-old right-hander, who signed a two-year $86.6M deal with New York last offseason. 

Additionally, Rosenthal noted that Houston may be Verlander's "preferred” destination due to his close relationship with Astros owner Jim Crane. 

The news is an interesting turn of events since SNY’s Andy Martino recently reported that there was "a growing belief” that Verlander would not be moved. Yet, after Sunday’s 5-2 win against Washington, Verlander told reporters he’d "be more open to" waiving his no-trade clause if the organization decides to focus on player development in 2024.

Considering the return teams are getting for starting pitching on the market so far, it’s not all that shocking that the Mets are trying to sell the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner at a premium.