The New York Mets 2023 campaign hopes officially came crashing down on Saturday afternoon, as the selloff continued with star pitcher Max Scherzer getting moved ahead of the trade deadline.

The first trade that indicated the beginning of the end came on Thursday night, with reliever David Robertson getting sent to the Miami Marlins for two prospects. Robertson was essentially a rental player, with his contract expiring at the end of the year and rumors that he may return to the Mets in the offseason on a new deal.

Some fans had hoped for only a minor selloff as the Mets sit just below .500 with around 60 games remaining, but Scherzer's move to the Texas Rangers ended all ideas of that. Scherzer and Justin Verlander were supposed to be twin dueling aces for New York, both costing over $44 million per year. Instead, the aging stars failed to consistently produce, part of the many issues the Mets faced with underperforming talent and injuries in the first half.

Now, fans and experts alike are wondering what the next Mets move will be, and all eyes have turned to Verlander as the top target. But one anonymous NL executive is fueling the reverse, expecting that Verlander ends up staying instead of a full sale.

“I think they hold on to Verlander,” a National League executive said, per Mark Feinsand MLB.com . “Somebody still has to pitch in 2024.”

Similar to the Scherzer episode on Saturday, the 40-year-old Verlander has a no-trade clause and a 2025 player option that owes him a potential $35 million on top of at least $59 million over the next two years. This can create a financial hang up that could tear a deal down, which almost happened with Scherzer to the Rangers before ultimately being resolved after hours of disputes.

If the Mets decide to continue the fire sale with Verlander, the rumored teams to watch are the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros, where Verlander just won the AL Cy Young and World Series in 2022. They received a strong prospect return with the Rangers, and would likely look to do the same with the Dodgers for Verlander if a deal can get done by Tuesday's deadline.