When the Mets paired Justin Verlander with Max Scherzer last off-season, it seemed almost too perfect. In Scherzer, they had one right-hander with three Cy Young Awards and a $43.3 million annual salary. In Verlander — who had just won his second World Series title with the Houston Astros — they had another.
But the vision of two aces destined for the Hall of Fame leading the Mets deep into October never materialized. With the Mets an afterthought in the pennant race, both pitchers have been tossed overboard from the luxury cruise liner that is sinking in Flushing Bay.