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By Ken Rosenthal, Chandler Rome, Will Sammon, Tim Britton and Eno Sarris

The New York Mets are trading pitcher Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros, a league source told The Athletic. Here’s what you need to know:

The Mets will receive outfielders Ryan Clifford and Drew Gilbert, according to a team source. Verlander was in his first season with the Mets after signing a two-year, $86 million deal with a vesting option for 2025. In 2023, he is 6-5, with a 3.15 ERA and 1.145 WHIP. Verlander, who on Sunday picked up his 250th career win, was previously traded in 2017 to Houston from the Tigers. He helped the Astros to a World Series title that fall and another in 2022. The Verlander trade follows the Mets sending Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers in exchange for minor league INF/OF Luisangel Acuña. The Athletic’s instant analysis:

How Verlander ended up back in Houston This could have been engineered eight months ago, after Verlander won his third Cy Young Award, authored perhaps the best season of his Hall of Fame career and capped it off with Houston’s second World Series championship.

Instead, Astros owner Jim Crane stuck to the same philosophy he’s held his entire tenure. He made Verlander an offer he was comfortable with and didn’t budge. Verlander signed a two-year, $86.6 million deal with the Mets and, afterward, Crane told the Houston Chronicle it “got to a number we couldn’t match.”

Circumstances shifted and forced Crane to overcorrect. He did not sign any starting pitching depth this winter while overseeing the team’s baseball operations department. Three of his returning starters suffered long-term injuries. Two — Lance McCullers Jr. and Luis Garcia — are out for the season.

Garcia, McCullers and José Urquidy’s injuries are well-documented, but more concerning leaks have sprung in Houston’s rotation since the beginning of June. Framber Valdez has battled inconsistency. Cristian Javier hasn’t responded well to an increased workload. Rookies Hunter Brown and J.P. France have been steady, but relying on them for a full season feels tenuous.

Since June 5, a span of 48 games, Houston’s starting rotation has a 4.56 ERA and a 4.83 FIP. Across that span, only seven rotations had a higher WHIP than Houston’s 1.37 clip. Five of them belong to non-contending teams: the Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Another is the Texas Rangers, who acquired Scherzer on Saturday and Jordan Montgomery on Sunday, all but forcing the Astros to respond. Crane entered the fray and spearheaded the deal for Verlander, with whom he remains extremely close. — Rome

Dana Brown changes mind on prospectsz The trade is the antithesis of everything first-year general manager Dana Brown projected throughout his first deadline in charge. Now, it’s fair to question who, exactly, is in charge.

Crane hired Brown, in part, to replenish Houston’s barren farm system, which is considered one of the five worst in the sport. All month, Brown seemed reticent to part with the few high-end prospects Houston had, projecting “sustainable winning” while acknowledging he “really wouldn’t want to give up the farm.”

On Tuesday, he basically did. By all accounts, Gilbert and Clifford were two of the team’s top prospects. Gilbert was the best, a former Tennessee outfielder and first-round pick whom some in the organization — including Brown — believed could have been on the big-league roster in September. Gilbert struggled to start his Double-A career, but rebounded just before the trade deadline.

To pry him away from his commitment to Vanderbilt, Houston gave Clifford a $1,256,530 signing bonus after selecting him in the 11th round of the 2021 draft. He slashed .291/.399/.520 across both A-ball levels this season.

The Astros did have a surplus of outfielders at the upper minor leagues, but parting with these two players is a steep price, one Brown didn’t project he was willing to pay. — Rome

How did the Mets get here and what comes next? In a winter defined by spending, one of the first marquee names to sign with the Mets ahead of the 2023 season was Verlander. The Mets added the future Hall of Famer — who was coming off the best season ever authored by a 39-year-old pitcher — to replace Jacob deGrom, who fled to Texas in free agency, leaving a void alongside Scherzer atop New York’s rotation. At his introductory press conference, Verlander said he joined the Mets because he believed in billionaire Steve Cohen’s ability to invest heavily for a winning club. Cohen did his part. He kept spending. The Mets achieved a record payroll. From there, though, nothing went according to plan. Verlander missed the first month of the season with a minor injury. Then, he pitched inconsistently before turning things up over the last several weeks. By then, it was too late; the Mets had already stumbled too far down the standings.

So, the Mets have changed course. For the last handful of days, the Mets fielded calls on Scherzer and Verlander. They then traded Scherzer, which led Verlander to openly reconsider how he felt about the Mets. Scherzer, assuming he’d exercise his player option, would’ve been in New York for 2024. Previously, Verlander had said he was committed to the organization because it remained committed to winning. Turns out, the Mets may not be as all-in for 2024 as they were for 2023. Thus, the situation changed. In addition to impending free agent Tommy Pham, there’s a distinct possibility that more players under contract beyond 2023 could get moved. — Sammon

What the Mets get back Evaluators view Gilbert as a high-energy player with an ability to play center field. He projects as a plus-runner and solid defender with a good combination of a hit tool and the ability to hit for power. Clifford is viewed as a corner-outfield type with plus raw power. While Clifford was taken in the 11th round of the draft, it’s important to note he was an over-slot guy; he was headed to Vanderbilt and the talent, particularly of occasional plus-plus power has been there. — Sammon

What does this mean for New York in 2024? It means what Billy Eppler said on Sunday: that the Mets will not enter 2024 as serious contenders for a championship. Say what you will about Verlander and Scherzer not living up to their contracts or their pedigrees this season; they were still useful pieces now and into the very near future, and New York will have to replace them. The difficulty of that task is likely to be highlighted over these next two months as the Mets hold tryouts.

Right now, their 2024 rotation consists of Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana, the latter of whom might not still be on the team to make his start tonight.

Eppler’s other comments Sunday also presage a less aggressive approach in free agency. The Mets had viewed Verlander and Scherzer as bridges, pieces that could be successful in the majors until the farm system had been built up enough so the club didn’t have to spend as much in free agency. But that bridge is gone, the farm system is not ready to replace it, and the best options in free agency will require significantly longer commitments than two or three years. Eppler said Sunday the club prefers free agents who complement an existing core rather than ones who compose it. That doesn’t sound like a guy about to offer Shohei Ohtani $500 million or more. — Britton

Verlander’s efficiency Don’t let the strikeout rate fool you, Verlander is still a difference-maker. By pairing a top-10 slider (among starters with minimum 50 innings pitched, by Stuff+) with a good curveball, average changeup and average fastball — and adding in the ability to command those pitches, as well as a high Moxy+ and Pitchability+ — he can still bang. He’s a top-10 pitcher. Even at 40 years old. Even with his worst fastball velocity in seven years.

Perhaps as a response to the fact that sliders are being hit harder this year than ever, Verlander has dialed back the usage on that breaker. That might have something to do with the missing strikeouts. Here’s a bet that a return to the organization for which he had his highest strikeout rates will help him find the missing whiffs.

In any case, the Astros had a need for a front-line starter this year. Javier’s fastball has gone missing, and though youngsters Brown and France have been revelations, manager Dusty Baker will feel a lot better penciling in a future Hall of Famer next to Valdez at the top of a rotation that’s most likely going to play in October again. — Sarris

By Melissa Lockard, Keith Law and Brittany Ghiroli

The surging Baltimore Orioles made a trade to shore up their bullpen Thursday, acquiring right-hander Shintaro Fujinami from the Oakland A’s for minor-league left-hander Easton Lucas. Fujinami is in his first season pitching in the U.S. after 10 seasons pitching professionally in Japan.

On the surface, a team vying for an American League East title acquiring a reliever with an 8.57 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP in 49 1/3 innings doesn’t make a lot of sense. But digging a little deeper into the numbers shows why the Orioles would have targeted him for a middle relief role. He began the season in the A’s rotation, but really struggled. He moved to the bullpen in late April and, over the last 10 weeks, has been pitching much better. Over his last 15 outings, he’s posted a 2.70 ERA with 18 strikeouts and four walks in 16 2/3 innings. July has been his best month. In seven outings, he’s allowed just two runs over eight innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks. For the season, Fujinami has 51 strikeouts and 30 walks.

The 6-foot-6 Fujinami has a big arsenal of pitches, highlighted by a four-seam fastball that can touch 102. The splitter is his best secondary pitch and it’s a pitch he’s thrown more consistently for strikes over the past two months. He also has a cutter, a slider, a sinker and a curveball.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Easton Lucas scouting report

Lucas is a reliever, 93-96 with an above-average slider and a good-enough changeup that he might be able to become a full-inning guy rather than just a lefty specialist-type. He has had a modest platoon split this year, giving up some power to right-handers but throwing strikes and limiting walks to hitters on both sides. Given how Fujinami has pitched this year, this seems like an adequate return. — Law

What this means for the Orioles

Baltimore, which moved into a first-place tie with the Rays in the AL East on Wednesday, has two clear needs: middle relief and another starter. The Orioles filled the former with the addition of Fujinami, who will be part of their bullpen as an option prior to All-Star late-inning closer Félix Bautista and setup man Yennier Cano. While Fujinami struggled mightily to start the season, skewing his numbers, he has a 2.25 ERA in seven July appearances and has seemingly found his groove in relief. With the O’s he will be more of a fifth- or sixth-inning guy. Baltimore, with a loaded farm system, will presumably now turn its attention to the starting pitching market ahead of the trade deadline. — Ghiroli

What about for the A’s?

Fujinami had been one of the A’s most consistent relievers over the past six weeks, but he’s a pending free agent and with the team headed for a 100-loss season, it makes sense to try to trade him for value now. Lucas fills a need for the A’s as an upper-level relief prospect with two potential major-league average or better pitches and — most importantly — the ability to throw strikes. As a system, A’s relievers have struggled to throw strikes from A-ball up. That Lucas is a lefty in a system without many left-handed pitching prospects is also a bonus.

In a separate move, the A’s claimed right-hander Tayler Scott off waivers from the Red Sox on Tuesday. Scott will join the A’s bullpen immediately, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Lucas in the coming weeks. — Lockard

Los Angeles Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw will need more time on the injured list than originally expected as he deals with left shoulder soreness, he said Friday. Here’s what you need to know:

-The later-than-anticipated return comes after Kershaw underwent an MRI. -The three-time Cy Young Award winner did not want to say what specifically was wrong, and added he feels fine, but said doctors want to give his shoulder time to “heal.” -Kershaw, 35, said early August is a fair timeline for him to return.

https://twitter.com/FabianArdaya/status/1679950532004249600

What this means for Los Angeles’ rotation?

It obviously puts an even bigger strain on the parts of the Dodgers’ rotation that hasn’t gone as expected. Dustin May is out for the year. Julio Urías hasn’t performed like the guy who got Cy Young votes the last couple years. Tony Gonsolin looks very little like his All-Star form of a year ago.

Los Angeles already has three rookies in its rotation right now and could get another soon as Ryan Pepiot starts a rehab assignment. — Ardaya

What’s next for Kershaw?

It’s a perplexing injury for Kershaw, who said Friday he doesn’t feel any discomfort while throwing. He is still playing catch and could throw a bullpen early next week in Baltimore. If not for him getting an MRI, he said, he might already be back and pitching.

But he will adhere to Dr. Neal ElAttrache’s advice and rest in what has been another brilliant season. He was on pace to get Cy Young votes for the first time since 2020. — Ardaya

Backstory

In 16 starts this season, Kershaw has gone 10-4 with a 2.55 ERA.

When he was placed on the IL, both manager Dave Roberts and Kershaw said they were “very confident” the left-hander would be able to slot back into the Dodgers’ rotation after the All-Star break. He would be eligible to come off the injured list Saturday, the second game after the break, after the Dodgers backdated his placement the maximum three days to June 30.

Kershaw — who earned his 10th All-Star nod this season — was on pace to throw his most innings in a season since 2019, with 95 1/3 innings already to his name after just 126 1/3 a year ago.

Los Angeles is 51-38 this season, tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for first in the National League West.

SEATTLE — Shohei Ohtani, the Angels two-way star and the most popular player at the 93rd Major League Baseball All-Star Game, sat at a dais along the outfield warning track of T-Mobile Park late Monday morning. The rest of the American League All-Stars fanned out at tables on both sides of him. A swarm of reporters surrounded Ohtani for his 30-minute availability. It was hard to hear what Ohtani had to say. But he made one familiar message clear: He has grown tired of losing.

“Those feelings get stronger year by year,” Ohtani said through his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. “It sucks to lose. [I want] to win.”

Ohtani declined to indulge speculation about either the upcoming trade deadline or his approaching free agency. The Angels (45-46) are not eager to field offers for Ohtani, although an extended stretch of losing could alter the team’s calculus. The club lost nine of its final 10 games in the first half, getting waylaid with injuries while falling to fourth place in the American League West and five games back in the race for the second wild card.

Responsibility for the team’s trouble does not fall at Ohtani’s feet. He has put forth his best first half as a hitter, leading the American League in home runs (32) and OPS (1.050). On the mound, his performance has dipped, ever so slightly, but he has still posted a 3.32 ERA with 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings. He appears on track to collect his second American League MVP trophy in three seasons. A historic payday awaits.

As a free agent this winter, Ohtani is expected to sign the most lucrative contract in baseball history. The contract is expected to surpass $500 million, if not larger, according to rival executives who requested anonymity in order to speak freely about the situation. Ohtani has declined to tip his hand about his preferred destination, whether it be a long-term pact with the Angels or a dalliance with any of the other expected suitors, like the Dodgers or the Mets.

“I’ve never been a free agent before, so I’m not sure how that’s gonna be,” Ohtani said. “I’m focused on this season right now. I just want to do my best this year and try to get as many wins as possible.”

In the days before the break, the Angels collapsed. Mike Trout suffered a fractured hamate bone, underwent surgery and began a rehab process that could last eight weeks. Anthony Rendon has not played since fouling a ball off his leg on July 4. Owner Arte Moreno has committed to not trading Ohtani as long as the club remains in contention. Defining contention will be a task for Moreno’s front office as the Aug. 1 deadline draws closer.

Ohtani declined to offer insight into his opinion on a potential trade. Mizuhara explained that Ohtani “has no control over that, so he just tries not to think about it, focuses on the game that day.” Ohtani is not exactly known for public expansiveness. He limits his briefings with reporters to group sessions after he starts. He made an exception for a jewel event like the All-Star Game.

“This is my third All-Star Game,” Ohtani said. “Every time I come, I mostly think about the All-Star Game next year.”

If Ohtani stays healthy, he will almost certainly appear at next year’s Midsummer Classic. The bigger question is which team will be represented. And where might he be playing before this winter, if the Angels continue to stumble.

“I treat every season as a special season,” Ohtani said. “This season is no different. Regardless of if I’m a free agent next year or not, just try to treat it the same as every other year.”