Major League Baseball

Justin Verlander responds to report in which ex-teammate called him 'diva'

Published Aug. 14, 2023 8:14 p.m. ET

Justin Verlander made a rare post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday in response to an anonymous member of the New York Mets labeling him a "diva" in a recent New York Post story.

Verlander said he has "nothing but respect" for the Mets organization and wishes those there "nothing but [the] best."

"That being said, we all know the success of a team is made up of more than just the players on the field, everyone's input is valuable," Verlander wrote. "I'm sorry to hear that a staff member took offense to constructive criticism on how we could improve."

According to the New York Post, fellow veteran ace Max Scherzer also complained about Verlander's attitude, adding tension to a relationship that had also been strained when the two were teammates on the Detroit Tigers in the early 2010s.

The Mets anticipated competing for a World Series title in 2023 after a 101-win season in 2022. Instead, however, the team floundered around a .500 record before the Mets' front office opted to trade several veterans before the Aug. 1 deadline.

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That included blockbuster deals that sent Scherzer to the Texas Rangers and Verlander back to the Houston Astros. Both veterans waived their respective no-trade clauses in order to facilitate the deals.

Verlander also frequently criticized the Mets' analytics department, per the Post report, comparing it unfavorably to that of the Astros, with whom he spent 2017-2022 before signing a three-year contract with the Mets last offseason.

The three-time Cy Young award winner got off to a rocky start on the field in New York, with a 4.11 ERA in his first eight starts after missing the opening month of the season due to a muscle injury in his throwing arm. But he had a 1.69 ERA over 37.1 innings over his six starts in July, which proved to be his final six in New York.

Verlander has allowed five runs over 13 innings in his first two starts back in Houston.

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