Buck Showalter shares honest take about Mets selling

New York Mets manager Buck Showalter wants to be left in the dark regarding whatever general manager Billy Eppler plans to do before this coming Tuesday's MLB trade deadline. 

"I don't know and want to know anything about the trade market," Showalter acknowledged ahead of Friday's home game against the Washington Nationals, according to Garrett Stepien of SNY. "Got a lot of confidence in those people. Believe me, Billy and his staff, it's 24/7. We both left here about (1 a.m.) last night, and I know he was back at it early this morning. Whatever direction, whatever they choose to do, I know it's well thought out and researched." 

The Mets officially raised the white flag on one of the more disappointing seasons in franchise history and became sellers late Thursday night when they traded closer David Robertson to the division-rival Miami Marlins. 48-54 New York remains responsible for baseball's most expensive squad but nevertheless began Friday's action seven games back in the battle for a wild-card spot, and the Amazins have been non-factors in the National League East race throughout the summer. 

Eppler is expected to make at least outfielders Tommy Pham and Mark Canha available as the Mets essentially begin spring training 2024 roughly seven months ahead of schedule. It seems unlikely that advertised co-aces Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer will be moved, but Showalter suggested he is focusing only on his daily tasks amid an impending roster shakeup. 

"We talk every day, sometimes six or seven times (a day)," Showalter added about chats he has with Eppler. "It's a tough time for him and his staff. I mean, it's a challenge and I've been there and I've been in their shoes. So I've got a lot of respect for it. Fortunate—running a scouting department and player development, doing that in your past, you get a feel for that and you have a real respect and not sympathy but empathy for what goes on. So I get everything I need to know."

Showalter can only manage the players available to him at any given time, but it's practically a guarantee the team he has this Wednesday will be weaker than the one he had coming off the All-Star break.