Buck Showalter rolled through a series of reasons why the Mets were pushing Jose Quintana back to Thursday to make his 2023 debut and moving Justin Verlander onto normal rest for Wednesday.

At the end, almost as a throwaway, the Mets manager said in his Sunday pregame availability that it would give Verlander “one more start before the end of the month.”

That seemed a strange reason to include. Unless you look at not just the regular calendar, but the baseball calendar. By starting on Wednesday on normal rest, Verlander could also start on a standard fifth day on July 25 and July 30. The Mets are off on July 31 and 6 p.m. on Aug. 1 is the trade deadline.

So I grabbed Showalter to ask if one plus Aug. 1 equals why Verlander was being positioned for one extra July start. He responded, “You do the math.” Then he paused and added, “Of course.”

It is just obvious now what the agenda has to be. “Of course.” The 2023 Mets have been so bad that they have to be prioritizing the 2024 Mets — and beyond.

Verlander is no easy trade. Neither is Max Scherzer, though Scherzer’s performance Sunday against the Dodgers — seven one-hit shutout innings in a 2-1, 10-inning Mets victory — only improves his desirability.

Both veteran righties have no-trade clauses. Both are due $43.66 million next season if Scherzer picks up his player option. In addition, Verlander has a $35 million conditional player option for 2025. Plus, Scherzer turns 39 on July 27. Verlander is 40. Both have raised concerns about decline physically and in performance this year.

Nevertheless, contenders need starting pitching and Steve Cohen has exhibited a willingness to eat money to get what he wants — strong prospects who satiate his hunger to construct an elite farm system as quickly as possible. How much would have to be eaten to make a club(s) willing to give up quality prospects for this version of Verlander and/or Scherzer? That is a question that will play out through the rest of July.

And it will play out. Billy Eppler mentioned on Friday that his club is now receiving calls about players. One scout who covers the Mets verified they are open for business and said, it would not take a lot of imagination for interested suitors to believe a pitcher of, say, Verlander’s pedigree would rise with the adrenaline of a pennant race and “He already was hitting 98 [on Friday against the Dodgers].” Scherzer’s full-arsenal excellence Sunday was tantalizing as a pitch to actual contenders.

Which the Mets are not. So they will market their walk-year players, notably David Robertson, who added two more shutout innings Sunday and comes with playoff credentials, plus others such as Mark Canha and Tommy Pham. But because of the names and potential impact — both to the teams they go to and the Mets — the main event revolves around Scherzer and/or Verlander.

And it is possible that one or both will be moved.

Why?

Because Cohen has demonstrated that he is unafraid of the big play. He was not deterred by the cost of Scherzer/Verlander when he thought they could bring a championship. So, he will not be afraid to authorize their trade(s) if he thinks that brings the Mets closer to the franchise he envisions — and it isn’t like it will scare him from trying to replace that duo with a Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Nola or Blake Snell come the offseason.

What does Cohen crave? A sustained contender replenished regularly by a fertile farm. He has mentioned the Dodgers as the role model and first-place Los Angeles — beset by rotation injuries — started homegrown Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin and 100 mph-throwing rookie Bobby Miller in a series in which the Mets managed just three runs.

With the rotation injuries that the Dodgers have suffered they could use a starter and Scherzer already has waived a no-trade clause to be traded there once. But if Scherzer and Verlander are available, willing to go and Cohen is willing to defray the salary and continue to have dead money on his large payroll, the Mets will not lack suitors.

The baseball calendar is where it is and so are the 43-50 Mets. It is why they are open to business as sellers, why Verlander has three more July starts now and why we await to see just how many future Hall of Famers — zero, one or two — they trade between now and Aug. 1, 4 p.m.