The underachieving New York Mets have been quite busy ahead of the MLB trade deadline, dealing a number of veteran players in exchange for prospects. However, the team’s general manager Billy Eppler insists that this isn’t a “fire sale” and that the Mets are not heading towards a rebuild.
The Mets entered the 2023 campaign with the highest payroll in the league and expectations to compete for the World Series. But with 105 games already behind them, the New York team is at 50-55 and is a long shot to make the playoffs.
As a result, the Mets opted to move on from some of their high-paid veterans, trading closer David Robertson to the Miami Marlins and moving three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers.
“I do want to be clear that it’s not a rebuild. It’s not a fire sale,” Eppler told reporters on Sunday when asked about the moves. “It’s not a liquidation.”
Despite this, Eppler indicated that the franchise will remain busy as the trade deadline approaches.
“We’re going to listen, but our price points are high,” Eppler added. “We have valuations on our existing personnel, and the bar is high to meet it, but we are willing in certain circumstances to use Steve’s investment and kind of repurpose that investment to serve the larger goal, which is to build a championship organization.”
