It's no secret that the New York Mets season didn't go to plan, but an earlier report detailed a much more fractured clubhouse than seen by the public eye. Former Mets star pitcher Max Scherzer is speaking out in his first return back to Citi Field since being traded to the Texas Rangers, and strongly refuting the rumors about him and Justin Verlander.

After a contentious period leading up to the trade deadline, the Mets front office decided to enter a full sale, and get as many prospects as they could for their top talent. Twin aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander were both moved in the frenzy, with Scherzer landing with the Texas Rangers and Verlander returning to his previous Astros squad.

Right after the trade, a New York Post report cited a discord between the two stars that was fracturing the clubhouse culture, and also called new addition Verlander “a diva.” Verlander immediately commented on the report, and now Scherzer is continuing to clarify the inaccuracies.

“All the stuff with Ver and I, Ver and I are actually on a better page now than when we started the season,” Scherzer said Monday in the visiting dugout, per Tim Britton of The Athletic. “We’re much better off than we’ve ever been.”

He continued on to defend the entire clubhouse, saying the team had a great relationship with a lot of talent, and they truly believed they could gear up for a playoff run in 2023 or circle the wagons for 2024. While the top brass wanted to go in a different direction, Scherzer insists that it was not due to any team drama, and many have corroborated his side.

“We actually had a great clubhouse,” Scherzer said when asked about the “toxic” allegations. “We had great veterans in the clubhouse, everybody included. That’s definitely not the reason why we lost. We were a tight-knit group that had a lot of fun together.”

The New York Mets are all but packed up for this go around, sitting 9 games back with just one month remaining. They gathered a respectable return on prospects, and will look to improve towards their alleged 2025 goal for a serious push.