Justin Verlander was “blown away” by the New York Mets’ relentless determination to winning, and that was the driving force behind the star free agent signing a blockbuster deal with the team on Monday.

The Mets wasted little time in locking down their replacement for Jacob deGrom, signing Verlander to a two-year, $86 million deal as the MLB Winter Meetings got underway in San Diego. The contract will pay Verlander $43.3 million per year, and contains an option for a third year at $35 million.

It acts as another major statement of intent by owner Steve Cohen, who refused to let deGrom’s departure stall the momentum building in Queens. Instead, the front office moved aggressively to sign the remaining best starting pitcher left on the open market, and Verlander automatically forms a formidable one-two punch at the top of the rotation with fellow future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer.

Verlander’s impressive resume speaks for itself. He is a three-time Cy Young Award winner, a two-time World Series champion, a nine-time All-Star, a Triple Crown winner, an MVP, an ALCS MVP, and he was one of the best pitchers in all of baseball in 2022 with a sparkling 1.75 ERA. The 39-year-old proved that he can still pitch at the peak of his powers and he certainly helps this team in their mission to win right now. He will help make the Mets a legit World Series contender in both 2023 and 2024.

And it appears as though the Mets’ commitment to winning right now was the big and most attractive draw for Verlander. In comments relayed by his brother Ben, on the Flippin’ Bats with Ben Verlander podcast, Justin was said to be “pumped” to sign with the Mets and he stated that his number one goal “is to win.” Verlander was also quoted as being impressed by the giant strides made by the organization over the past couple of years, both on and off the field.

Verlander noted his history with Scherzer with the two formerly teammates with the Detroit Tigers, while he also recognized the likes of Francisco Lindor, Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso as being stars on the team. Via his brother, he spoke of his intention to come in and be a leader for the franchise and he wants to use his vast wealth of experience when it comes to winning in the majors to good advantage and wants his teammates and the rest of the pitching staff to tap into that expertise. He also spoke about the good culture within the clubhouse and wanting to add to that.

Perhaps the most interesting nugget to emerge from the podcast and Ben’s chat with his brother was that Verlander was apparently told this isn’t the end in terms of the Mets’ business this winter. In other words, more big splashes are on the way and Ben’s exact comment was that “this roster we see will not be the same team we see on Opening Day.” The fact that Ben said he knows that to be the case suggests that this has come straight from his brother, who has obviously been told that more reinforcements are on the way.

It has been reported that the Mets were after two starters this offseason, which means they are still in the market for one more after Verlander’s signing. If Brandon Nimmo doesn’t return, the team will also need outfield help and reports have suggested that the front office have some interest in left fielder Andrew Benintendi. Given the comments made by the Verlanders, it does appear as though general manager Billy Eppler is only just getting started and there could still be some big signings to come.

Verlander “being blown away” by the franchise’s determination to win now and in the future was a common theme throughout the podcast, and the phrase “pumped up” kept on popping up. It is clear that Verlander wants to be in Queens and, more importantly, he wants to win as a Met and that could act as a vital selling point to other free agents. This is another huge day for the New York Mets and Verlander’s clear excitement to be part of the organization proves where this team now sits as a respected and legitimate contender.