NEW YORK — The Mets’ game against the Nationals on Sunday afternoon was an aside to the big event of the weekend: Max Scherzer’s trade to the Rangers in exchange for shortstop prospect Luisangel Acuña, which became official about half an hour before the first pitch in the teams’ series finale.
As Trevor Williams took the mound for the Nationals, Mets general manager Billy Eppler discussed dealing the three-time Cy Young winner in the underbelly of Citi Field, striking a resolute tone about the direction of the Mets.
With the Mets scuffling at 49-55 in their final game before Tuesday’s trade deadline, Eppler said the Mets front office is going to be opportunistic in trying to build a sturdy foundation in the minor leagues but it is not punting on 2024 either.
“Given the place we’re in, and the odds we’re facing, it was a strategic decision, and we kind of took this opportunity to kind of serve another goal of the organization, which is to enhance the farm system,” Eppler said. “I do want to be clear that it’s not a rebuild. It’s not a fire sale. It’s not a liquidation. This is just a repurposing of Steve (Cohen’s) investment in the club and kind of shifting that investment from the team into the organization.”
Billy Eppler explains Mets’ philosophy
The Mets’ prolonged inconsistency in all three phases of the game this season set up a situation where the organization wanted to invest in the future.
In the case of Scherzer, that meant dealing the decorated right-hander, who is earning a record $43.33 million per year, and paying some of his contract to bring in the 21-year-old Acuña, who instantly became the Mets’ No. 2 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. Scherzer waived his no-trade clause and agreed to
“When circumstances arise, you want to kind of embrace your reality and make the best, be at your best regardless of your circumstances,” Eppler said. “So we use this opportunity to bring a player into the organization that we’re extremely excited about, that’s close…
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