The New York Mets had to make some tough decisions at the MLB trade deadline, as the club opened up a fire sale amid a disappointing 2023 campaign, trading away both of their ace starting pitchers in Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. In an article written shortly after Scherzer's trade, the ace pitcher gave fans and pundits an inside look into his conversations with Mets brass, indicating the team gave him the impression they would not have their sights set on winning a World Series in 2024. Cohen revealed a bit more information on the conversation he had with Scherzer.

The Mets owner said he “couldn't promise” Scherzer the club would be aggressive in free agency this winter, per The Associated Press.

“You've got to remember, Max and Justin, they're at a different point in their career,” he said. “Max asked me straight: ‘Are you going to be all-in at free agency next year?' And I couldn't give him that promise. I couldn't give him that assurance, and he wants to win now. If he felt like our odds were smaller than he originally thought, then he made his decision, and Justin did, too. And I respect that. They're good guys and they're at a different point in their career.”

Scherzer asked Cohen and the Mets front office point blank if they were planning on quickly putting 2023 in the rearview and eyeing contention in 2024.

Cohen couldn't give Scherzer “assurance” that that would be the case and the three-time Cy Young award winner waived his no-trade clause to be dealt to the Texas Rangers.

One can hardly blame Scherzer- and Verlander- for feeling this way. They both anticipated pitching deep into October for a Mets team fresh off of a 101-win 2022 season.

Instead, the underachieving Mets were forced to take a few steps backwards- and Scherzer, who just turned 39 years old, didn't want to be a part of that process.