The New York Mets are back to the drawing board after falling apart yet again in the 2022 season, this time in the National League Wild Card round. The Mets are rumored to be interested in signing some big names this offseason, and while they will likely focus on retaining some of their own free agents first, they could be sniffing around Justin Verlander to see whether or not he will end up leaving the Houston Astros.

Verlander is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, despite returning to the hill after what was basically a two-year absence from pitching. Verlander simply didn't look like he had missed a beat, and will likely end up walking away from the season with the third Cy Young award of his historic career.

Fresh off his strong season, Verlander looks set to earn a big chunk of cash this offseason, and while the Astros may have the inside track to land him, that doesn't mean other teams such as the Mets won't make a push to sign him. With the Mets sticking out as a potential landing spot for Verlander, let's take a look at three reasons why they would be a perfect fit for the ageless veteran.

3. The Mets already have a strong lineup to support Justin Verlander

Pitchers want to win their outings when they take the hill, but in order to win, you need run support. Verlander certainly has had that for long stretches of his career with the Astros and Detroit Tigers, and if he were to jump ship and join the Mets, the same thing would ring true here.

New York has a deep lineup that is among the best in baseball last season. Led by stars like Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor, the Mets powered their way through the 2022 season, and even though they flamed out in the Wild Card round, that shouldn't really take away from just how strong of a hitting season the team had. And considering all the prospects they have that either reached the majors or will within the next season or two, they will likely only continue to get better.

Having that type of security is crucial for a starter. You can make the argument that there's no reason for Verlander to leave Houston since he already has that, especially considering they just won the World Series, but the Mets may be willing to give Verlander more money to lead their rotation. If that's the case, it's not as if the Mets are much worse off from a hitting perspective than the ‘Stros.

2. The Mets could reunite Justin Verlander with his old friend in Max Scherzer

From 2010 to 2014, the Tigers had the fortune of having Verlander and Scherzer leading their rotation. While Scherzer wasn't always the pitcher he is today, he and Verlander made the Tigers an absolutely fearsome team, and looking back, it's quite surprising that they were never able to lead Detroit to a championship.

If Verlander were to sign with the Mets, that would pair him back up with his old friend in Scherzer. Scherzer, just like Verlander, doesn't seem set to regress anytime soon, and is coming off a dominant debut campaign with the Mets. Scherzer did make the lowest amount of starts in a full season of his career with 23, but that's largely due to his incredible consistency throughout his career.

The Mets weren't able to win with Jacob deGrom and Scherzer last season, but it's clear that last season there wasn't a better pitcher in the MLB than Verlander. It may just be a short term upgrade to acquire Verlander to replace deGrom, but it may be just what New York needs to make that final World Series push, and allow Verlander and Scherzer to win a title together after their failed attempts to do so with the Tigers.

1. The Mets may lose Jacob deGrom in free agency

This all goes without saying that the Mets will likely be more interested in re-signing deGrom before they focus on signing Verlander this offseason. But they simply may not be able to accomplish that, and if deGrom ends up walking, signing Verlander would likely become a priority for New York.

Scherzer is good enough to lead the rotation, but with deGrom and Chris Bassitt free agents, those could be losses that New York cannot overcome. Again, the Mets would likely prefer to keep deGrom in town, but if they can't, it would make a lot of sense for them to pursue Verlander in an attempt to beef up their rotation.

The Mets may not necessarily need big changes after a successful 2022 season, but they may be forced into them if some of their key free agents leave. New York's interest in Verlander may depend on how things go with their own free agents, but if deGrom leaves, the Mets may have no choice but to make a big play for Verlander in free agency this offseason.