The Rangers and Mets have agreed to a trade that will see the star right-hander Max Scherzer head to Texas, with prospect Luisangel Acuña heading the other way. The Mets are paying down all but $22.5MM of the remaining money owed to Scherzer, who will waive his no-trade clause. He will also trigger his player option for 2024, forgoing his opt-out opportunity.
The Mets signed Scherzer to a three-year, $130MM deal going into the 2022 season, as part of a high-spending strategy aimed at contention. The first year generally went well, as the Mets won 101 games with Scherzer contributing 23 starts of 2.29 ERA ball. This year hasn’t been nearly as successful, however, as the Mets have slumped to 49-54 and 6.5 games out of a playoff spot. It seems they have accepted the fact that they have to do some selling, having already flipped David Robertson to the Marlins.
That’s also come with diminished results from Scherzer, who has posted an ERA of 4.01 this year, working around a 10-game sticky stuff suspension earlier in the season. His strikeouts have dipped this season, with his 27.3% rate representing his lowest since 2011.
With the Mets struggling, it’s led to speculation about how they would react. Impending free agents like Robertson, Tommy Pham and others seemed like natural trade candidates, but Scherzer’s situation was more complicated. As mentioned, he had a full no-trade clause and would need to agree to any deal. It was reported in June that he was willing to waive that clause under certain circumstances, though without concrete information about what it would take for him to do so.
Further complicating matters was Scherzer’s ability to opt out of the final year of his deal, leaving $43.33MM on the table. Some sources describe this as a player option, though the situation is the same either way, with Scherzer getting to decide whether to become a free agent or not. He spoke about his situation earlier this week, saying that he’s “not going to be a free agent” and “can see a path to contend next year” with the Mets. Though he also said he would speak with the front office about the club’s direction.
He’s still owed just under $15MM for the remainder of this season, on top of the $43.33MM for next year, a total just north of $58MM. Whatever return the Rangers were willing to send to the Mets might have taken a different shape if they were to view Scherzer as a rental or a pickup for a year and a half with a massive salary. They reportedly wanted Scherzer to lock in that 2024 season, which he has now apparently done.
Since the Mets are paying down all but $22.5MM, that means they’re eating more than $35MM in this deal. The Mets have shown a tendency to eat money in trades in order to maximize returns, such as sending Eduardo Escobar to the Angels and James McCann to the Orioles, and have done so here.
The Rangers have been clearly looking for starting pitching recently, having been connected to Lance Lynn, Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery, Eduardo Rodriguez, Shohei Ohtani, Justin Verlander and Scherzer. They have had a couple of rotation setbacks this year, most notably the loss of Jacob deGrom. He was signed to a five-year, $185MM guarantee in the offseason but required Tommy John surgery in June, putting him out for the remainder of this year and some of 2024 as well. They also lost Jake Odorizzi to a season-ending shoulder surgery.
The club has operated for most of the season with a rotation of Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Martín Pérez and Andrew Heaney, with Dane Dunning stepping in for deGrom. The results from that group have been varied, with Eovaldi’s 2.69 ERA the lowest and Pérez the highest at 4.91. Dunning is at 3.28 but with a 15.5% strikeout rate that’s well below league average. Since his .269 batting average on balls in play and 77.5% strand rate are on the lucky side, his 4.26 FIP and 4.88 SIERA suggest he’s skirted around some runs. He’s the only member of the rotation with options and could perhaps wind up in the minors as depth, though he’s also worked out of the bullpen before. Additionally, Eovaldi is dealing with some elbow soreness, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. He’s not going on the IL yet but his scheduled start is being pushed back. Although Scherzer’s not having his best season, he would still be an upgrade for that group. By sticking around for 2024, he will also help them cover for Pérez becoming a free agent, with deGrom potentially returning later in the year.
The Rangers are currently 60-44 and hold a two-game lead over the Astros in the American League West, with the third-place Angels aggressively pursuing upgrades as well. The Rangers haven’t made the postseason since 2016, which was also the last time they finished above .500. They’ve shown a willingness to be very aggressive in recent years as they look to get out of that spiral, giving out huge deals to players like Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, as well as the aforementioned starting pitchers. They’ve already bolstered their bullpen by acquiring Aroldis Chapman and now have made a massive move for their rotation.
It was reported this week that the club would be open to surpassing the $233MM base threshold of the luxury tax for Verlander, though it remains to be seen if they will do the same for Scherzer. Roster Resource currently lists their CBT figure at $224MM, or $9MM below the line. Assuming the $22.5MM they are paying Scherzer is evenly distributed between now and the end of next year, they’ll be adding just under $6MM to that. That will leave them shy of the line for now but further moves could tip the scales.
In order to obtain Scherzer’s services, the club has parted with Acuña. The 21-year-old shortstop is the younger brother of Atlanta’s superstar outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. Signed out of Venezuela in 2018, he has climbed through the minor league ranks to reach Double-A. In 84 games at that level this year, he’s hitting .315/.377/.453 for a wRC+ of 121 while stealing 42 bases. Baseball America currently lists him at the #87 prospect in the league while FanGraphs has him at #56. BA suspects he’ll have to move to second base eventually but that he could be a solid regular there.
As for the Mets, this could perhaps give some hint as to how far they are willing to go in trading from this year’s roster in order to acquire help for future seasons. They’ve already traded Robertson and could shop other impending free agents like Pham and Carlos Carrasco. Mark Canha and Brooks Raley could also make sense, though they are pure rentals since the club has options for 2024. Omar Narváez and Adam Ottavino have player options for 2024. José Quintana’s contract runs through 2024 and he has received some trade interest.
The bigger fish, though, is Verlander. He just signed a two-year deal in the offseason that pays him $43.33MM per year, matching Scherzer’s salary, with a conditional $35MM option for 2025 as well. Like Scherzer, he also has a full no-trade clause and said just a few days ago that the club hadn’t yet approached him about waiving it. But it was later reported that the club would only approach the players about their clauses after finding workable trade packages, which seems to have been the case in this Scherzer deal.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Michael Schwab of Juice Box Journal first reported that the Rangers had a deal in place for Scherzer, contingent on him waiving his no-trade clause. Andy Martino of Steve Gelbs of SNY relayed that Scherzer would waive his clause, but that the financial components of the deal weren’t complete. Jon Heyman of The New York Post first reported on Acuña’s inclusion in the deal, as well as the fact that the Rangers wanted him to forego his opt-out at season’s end and that the deal was done. Martino relayed the financials while Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that Scherzer will trigger in his 2024 option, with Heyman adding that he’ll receive some additional amenities for doing so.
If they’re going to trade one of Scherzer and Verlander, I hope it’s Scherzer. At times he’s looked great but very often he looks cooked.
Yeah. Scherzer’s the worse of the two. He’s also come up short in almost every big game for the Metsies.
Don’t remind me!
Well, he gets to pitch with DeGrom agai…
I’m not a Mets fan. But even I winced at that. Ouch
They would get Acuna’s little brother in the deal along with Porter and Walcott supposedly.
There is zero percent chance they are all included
That is way too much with this guys salary. I hope this isn’t true
That seems like an awful lot unless Mets are picking up the tab on a huge chunk of the $59m owed to Max between now and the end of next season…
…or divert the return from the Rangers minor leagues to a club that prefers prospects and are willing to give up bona fide major league players or near ready ML’ers.. Example: “a” top prospect from the Rangers like Brock Porter is shipped to the Cardinals for Jordan Walker as the headliners.
The Mets don’t want prospects.. they want an immediate rebuild…
I’ve heard Brock Porter and Saggese (sp?) are two of the players most likely going
Yeah because if that’s the case then the Rangers got ripped off then.
It’s two of the three. Supposedly Acuna is the main piece.
For what it’s worth, the ranger beat writer said Walcott was pulled from the game for disciplinary reasons
Jordan Walker is a free agent after the season, they can just sign him
lmfao. You’re not getting Jordan Walker for that. please
@kahnkobra Jordan Walker is not even arbitration eligible ffs. where do you people get this crap?
You mean Montgomery I think, not walker
that makes wayyyyy more sense
Don’t think they will trade walker but maybe you mean Montgomery? They are both jordans.
@almond- definitely not zero chance if the Mets retain all his salary.
Porter made his start for the down east wood ducks, going 3 IP today.
So, he wasn’t pulled for this trade.
definitely zero chance. he’s still an antique
Apparently he is. Was way below the pitch count from his prior games.
Holdup is cash supposedly going back with Max.
@padam, that’s if deGrom can find his way back to the mound healthy before end of next season…
He made an err Jordan.
my bad, was thinking Jordan Hicks
they have too many Jordans
NY reporting it’s Acuna. Others have been pulled for different reasons or possible trades.
Wouldn’t it be funny if the trade was for Kumar Rocker?
Looking like Acuna, Porter, and another.
Go for it if you’re the Mets,
Acuna is pretty close he’s been in AA all year last year also played in AA towards the end. He’s pretty much ready to advance to AAA right now and compete for spot on the roster in 24 spring training. Could be the Mets starting 2b next year.
rct – I wouldn’t be surprised if Scherzer wants additional money to waive his no-trade.
And there’s no chance he opts out after this season if he continues to pitch the way he has been.
3 prospects seem like a lot even if Mets pick up 80% of the contract.
Not true. Cohen’s goal has been long term stability through the minors which means adding the best possible.
who wants to see Kumar Rocker traded back to Mets?!?
lol
That’s a hilarious scenario for Walker.
@GeronimoSun: You don’t know what you’re talking about. The Mets actually do want prospects.
Rangers got screwed. Why are they even paying $22.5M? Scherzer is a 40-year-old pitcher with and ERA over 4 and the Rangers are still paying him over $20M per year. Why give up a guy like Luisangel Acuna for that? It doesn’t seem worth it to me. If they were going to trade Luisangel, they probably could have gotten a better pitcher and paid even less money. I don’t get it. Acuna should have been virtually untouchable and Scherzer definitely isn’t the guy who should make that change. Not now anyway. Maybe several years ago but definitely not anymore. If this is the market the Mets would be very smart to move on from Verlander too.
Not even close.
@Steve Nebraska: Rangers’ management obviously see it differently. I suspect they have a better sense of the market than you do.
Mets are paying the lion share of his salary. The guy is legitimately the best pitcher of the last decade. Their infield is locked down for the foreseeable future. Great trade by the rangers
Max can be a good #4 starter on any team. He’s unreliable though – giving up 5 or more runs in 6 starts this year. You cannot rely on him in a big game.
Which they are, to the tune of about $37 million of the remaining $59 million.
He’s not pretty close. The dude is above average AA. Rangers gets Max for this year and next for 22 million
Win for the Rangers and a gamble for the Mets.
Jordan Walker won’t be a true free agent until 2029 or 2030 at the earliest. Jordan Hicks the reliever will be a free agent at seasons end.
as painful as this season is for Mets fans this is a good move. they threw the dice and came up with craps. I’m sure Cohen will open the wallet again later, but the Mets need to develop more home grown players, especially pitchers.
Max is one of the best around.. Mets were a mess , and lax environment
Apparently everyone is coming up short with ur metsies lmfao
He’s still a good pitcher, above average, although way above in salary. His biggest issue this year has been the HR. Imo, he would serve quite well on a high scoring team. That’s not the Mets, this year.
You can slot him in as a #4 or 5 but he spit the bit for the Dodgers and Mets when it counted as an ace.
How did he do for the Nats?
“How did he do for the Nats”..That was 2019; presently it’s the year 2023.
Those sure are a couple of numbers.
Anyway, so how did he do in 2019?
“How did he do “….Bartolo Colon on line one; he thinks it’s 2009 and wants a huge deal. You interested?
You don’t have to say “the year.” No one says “the year 1983.”
Please stop fantasizing about getting a teams best prospect(s) for washed up players.
@windmill: Actually, Acuña is the Rangers’ 3rd best prospect and in mlb.com’s top 100.
Your comment implied that he doesn’t have the cojones or mental toughness to win games in the playoffs and WS. His history proves otherwise.
If the Rangers are going after Scherzer though, the Mets better be paying that contract way down, or I wouldn’t give them anything of high significance.
Ok but the Mets don’t have to make the trade either, if you haven’t heard their owner is made of money and would be just fine keeping him. The Rangers want him? Pay up
There owner may be made of money, but he ain’t stupid either.
“if you haven’t heard their owner is made of money and would be just fine keeping him.”
Right, but this argument cuts both ways. He’d also be fine paying a lot of the contract down if it means getting a better prospect back. He’s already shown he’s willing to do this, like with the Escobar deal. If the Mets want anything good back from Texas, Cohen better pay some of the deal off for them.
Escobar was a different stratosphere. Not expecting that here. 90% penalties on Scherzer contact are more than what he paid on Escobar.
Billionaires aren’t dumb and Cohen most likely desperately wants to be done with both Scherzer & Verlander. They haven’t pitched well when it mattered and they’re not like wine, which gets better with age.
@davidrocholl: As opposed to the genius who says “There owner.”
Not happening
jyosuckas This isn’t going to age well.
Scherzer still has games he looks great and overall has been decent, though way below his norms, and far from a $40M+ sp. i think they’ll pay down a big chunk to get someone of value back. He can def help TX this year.
Im a bit surprised that the Rangers don’t want Verlander which he is having a better year than Scherzer. Anyways, both are great pitchers.
Verlander may have said no thanks. Holding out for the Astros.
@padam Or the Mets decided to hold onto JV and retool around him, especially once they had a deal they found worthwhile for Scherzer. Just because they’re cutting from a roster that didn’t work out this year, it doesn’t mean they need to slash payroll completely.
Quite possible and I’d be fine with it. At at the rate they’re going, the return for Verlander could now increase because an in division rival just got that much better. Add in their familiarity with Verlander and i could see the Astros making an effort for him.
or Scherzer was cheaper in prospects
I could see them wanting to keep verlander and senga for next year and add to that
As a Mets fan, I hope they do. They can round out the rotation with FAs like Montgomery and Giolito. Quintana can slot into the 5th spot.
It’s because they aren’t giving up much and the Mets are paying him to go away.
Nobody in their right mind even if he is free is giving up much for him. He is washed and now is a 4-5 starter at best.
@simm I’ll bet you’re wrong on that and they’ll get a good prospect
Who says the Rangers would not have preferred Verlander?? He could ve already informed them which teams he’d consider waving NTC. Or simply the 2 teams could not cone to terms on an agreement for Verlander.
Doubtful since just the other day he said they had t mmm t approached him and they didn’t with scherzer
Since he was “outed’, he’s all but useless.
Mets getting Vargas and catcher Hernandez back if trade goes through.
It would be hilarious if they got Kumar Rocker back!
Mets getting Evoldi back. I don’t know either, but since everyone is throwing stuff out there…
Lol that’s what I kept reading I just threw two baseball names out there I dunno if the rangers have a Vargas I should’ve went with a Martinez they gotta have one guy named Martinez lol.
I’m floored. The Dodgers want Verlander and will offer top prospects. The Mets will suck next year unless the buy another rent a team
That’s a really nice return for the Mets
It’s always been that way….back when Tigers had a rotation of Porcello / Anibal Sanchez / Doug Fister-then-David Price / Verlander / Scherzer, Max left Detroit because tho they offered both extensions JV’s was far longer & more $$, effectively picking JV over Max
Btw how the F did Tigers not win a title with some of their rotation arms and guys like Miggy, Vmart, Castellanos, JD Martinez, Torri Hunter, Magglio Ordonez, Pudge, etc
Their bullpen wasn’t very good the one year I specifically remember and DD teams usually aren’t known for defence.
He’s definitely gonna waive it and go to Texas
Texas should know better
What if they get to dump Perez’s contract and then give up a marginal prospect? It’s a form of salary relief.
Not happening. Rangers gonna get fleeced. I can see it happening
Right. Because they sure got fleeced in the Aroldis Chapman trade. (eye roll)
Chapman trade has nothing to do with Scherzer. They are separate things. You do know that, don’t you?
I like the way you think!! Mets would still need to pay it down some though.
Would be ironic if it’s DeGrom + Rocker for Scherzer
That would be the trade of all trades.
I don’t think most people who use the word irony understand what it means. Here is an example of irony: Ironically, Verlander said no to Texas because he thought the Mets had a better chance of winning, but one team is below .500, while the other is in 1st place.
Won’t be in first for long.
FWIW RHP Scherzer agreed to waive his no-trade clause.
If everything is worked out, Mets will be sending a $$$$Brinks Truck$$$$$ and Scherzer to Arlington.
In return, Rangers sending good prospects to Mets.
@Texas Ranger
You don’t seem to understand irony either.
Irony is when an action you take to prevent an outcome, directly or indirectly leads to the outcome you were trying to prevent.
@SoCal: He didn’t want to play for a non-contender, and yet, he ended up playing for one. That is literally irony. He isn’t getting to leave the Mets since that’s Scherzer. It is 100% a perfect example of irony. He is on a non-contender that will finish under .500 for the season. He should have chosen Texas instead.
It’s cute you think Texas a contender
If you meant that he didn’t sign in the off-season with Texas, then yes, you are 100% correct. I thought you meant he said no to waiving his non-trade agreement. Then it makes no sense.
He didn’t sign with the rangers because they weren’t paying what the Mets did.
Scherzer got paid bank from the Mets.
Scherzer Texas Ranger
Nah. He’s a tick above average. I consider him to be the most overrated pitcher in baseball. I hate how he still wants to keep his player option. I wonder what happens to the cash if he does opt out. If they lose cash if he opts out, this is a terrible trade for a trashy human being.
If scherzer opts out, any cash as part of the 2024 season stays with Cohen.
Hopefully they structured the deal so 100% of the remaining 2023 salary comes from NY, with the balance of any included is in 2024.
That’s the best you’re going to get. Only other possible, but unlikely, option is there’s a PTBNL or cash considerations due to Tex within the 6 month limitation period designed to fall after Scherzer has to exercise his option.
If scherzer returns, it defaults to cash. If he opts out, Tex has a slate of a-ball lottery tickets it can pick one of to offset.
I saw a tweet that now says he did opt in. Man! These reporters are making a mockery of what was already a joke (journalism). I’ll wait a few hours for the dust to settle atm.
Or, should we cue up the jokes about any big deal- free agent, trade, or otherwise – involving the Mets requires as part of the recipe a degree of drama and dysfunction?
My advice Caveat Emptor
Ok, there’s a big move.
“Ok, there’s a big move.”
Oscar the Grouch;
Think it’ll prove to be as big a one as when the Mets signed him?….
I mean other than the amount of money involved?
Wow. That will change the landscape of the trade deadline right there. Probably means Verlander is available too? That’s a potential customer for the Tigers out of the mix.
“Probably means Verlander is available too?”
It could but not necessarily. I guarantee Cohen is going to spend a lot this offseason with the idea of competing next year. If they trade Verlander as well, then they’ll realistically only have Senga penciled in for the rotation.
@rct, I don’t think there is much on the upcoming FA market. It is a smart move on the Mets to shed salary relief and signal, no matter what you make you have to perform
Theres a lot of sp available in FA. Nola, urias, giolito, montgomery, snell… they could realistically sign two with their money
Just remember Cohen made his money in the financial world. He built the team to win now. While he has the most money out of all owners, he likely factored in higher attendance, playoff home games and more merchandise sales when he broke the bank so to speak this year. Even a multi-billionaire can do the math and think with the penalty tax, I can save $50m (arbitrary number) and put it back into the club next year.
> Nola, urias, giolito, montgomery, snell…
> they could realistically sign two
Too young for the Mets
They are probably signing Yamamoto from Japan too.
I thought it signaled they have to make a profit.
Don’t forget Lynn!
Or… Cohen may realize the only way to win consistently like he wants is to build a farm system and home grow it!
“Cohen may realize the only way to win consistently like he wants is to build a farm system and home grow it!”
He already knows this. The awful PCA trade aside, the Mets haven’t really traded any impact prospects away recently. They could have done so last offseason but held firm on their top prospects. Cohen’s plan has always been to develop the farm system while spending a ton to keep the current club competitive. Worked last year, this year not so much.
Yeah. I think the Mets have been rebuilding while also spending an ungodly amount of money. They haven’t emptied the farm at all. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they spend less next offseason in an attempt to continue developing the farm. Cohen showing patience is actually more frightening than Cohen just buying everyone.
He said as much in his recent press conference. The unsustainable big spend is a temporary solution while he gets development sorted.
The telling thing for me was he spoke about recently getting a presentation from his staff on player development technology. I’m guessing a few owners got that presentation 5 years ago. Big Steve has work to do. Looks like he is on it though.
@Von: I agree. I think Cohen will spend a lot on pitching this offseason, though. It’s a definite need (moreso if this Scherzer deal goes through) and their pitching in the upper levels of the minors is very weak. I don’t think he’ll splurge on any position players but I could definitely see him do it on pitching.
> Or… Cohen may realize
You lost me here with your complex logic.
You’re talking common sense to morons. MLBTR comment section has become a dumpster fire of 12 year old front runners.
The Mets are trading Scherzer because he took exception to Robertson being traded.
“You have to talk to the brass. You have to understand what they see, what they’re going to do,” Scherzer said. “That’s the best I can tell you. I told you I wasn’t going to comment on this until Steve was going to sell. We traded Robertson. Now we need to have a conversation.”
They’re just doing him a courtesy. Cohen didn’t become smart overnight.
Hemlock – it’s not a courtesy, is business.
Mets couldn’t move Scherzer without his OK. They were stuck paying him 43m for no-tack 10-15m of performance. But it was business, and they understood it.
Max was in NY because until the white flag went up, they needed his relative stability in the rotation. His deal was underwater, and until NY was willing to pay it down, nobody wanted that salary nevermind where it was respective to his performance. So, he also was professional about taking the ball his turns through and do more or less the best he could, with and without the sticky.
If the return didn’t justify it, Cohen wasn’t going to trade Max just as a courtesy and lose money. That’s bad business. And Max wasn’t giving up his leverage to only go to a contender just to give Cohen the courtesy of the best return/deal possible.
That is simply not true according to reports that the (possible) trade was in motion before last night’s comments.
He’s essentially buying a farm, if he pays for the albatross contract for a top 100 prospect. Also I think mad max wanted out after Robertson was traded he said he needed to talk to the front office about the direction they headed in.
Mets should trade BOTH Justin and Scherzer and target guys like Monty of St Louis, Stroman, Snell or the other great Japanese pitcher, I can’t remember his name. It’s been quite a long time since either Justin or Max were good in a playoff or other big game.
MLB Fan
Yep, Cohen just freed up money for Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Astros and Mets are in advanced trade discussions on RHP Verlander.
Astros are one of the few contenders willing to trade assets from their big league roster. Astros fans might balk at the return that is being discussed.
Verlander is not available now. They need him for next year, Mets aren’t trading both. Also, Verlander wants to stay and Scherzer clearly doesn’t so there’s that
If anything, he’s even more available now because truthfully, this team is going nowhere for the foreseeable future
I think Verlander goes too. Verlander and Scherzer were win-now experiments that didn’t work. Cohen is now stocking up the farm.
Seriously?
Scherzer and $40MM in cash for an A-ball player.
I was thinking $25MM for a PTBNL equivalent.
It’s definitely not going to be for an A-ball player if they’re giving $$ too it has to be Jack Leiter plus others maybe an OF prospect
Heh. Not a chance in the world it will be Leiter. It will be a decent but not very well known prospect, but the Mets also aren’t sending that much money either.
Oh I disagree. I think the Mets will be paying most of Scherzer’s contract and as a result get a huge return that may include Leiter.
I was hoping foscue or porter but they may be pipe dreams
Only names that have been mentioned in any reports up to this point are Acuña and Walcott
I think that’s the likely return, and a good one at that.
We’ll see soon lol
Wow id be very happy w acuna
I think Porter is included, he was just pulled from his start after 3IP and 52 pitches
Him and an INF Saggese are the players I’m hearing so far
“Scherzer & 40MM dollars” = Mid range prospect. Max is up and down at this point in his career and he’s not lIke wine, that gets better with age. He’s among league leaders in HR allowed and he’s simply not that good anymore.
A Double A prospect Acuna and a single A prospect Porter and about $15 million.
Walcott was pulled from his game in the ACL. I seriously hope the Rangers aren’t giving him up for a Scherzer rental.
If it is a top 100 guy, I really hope it’s him or Owen White instead of a real prospect like Carter, Porter, Leiter, or Acuna/Foscue.
He can opt out. Would rather have erod
He won’t opt out of 43.3 MM if he keeps up giving up 2 HR per 9.
Yeah he will if he doesn’t want to play in Texas.
I don’t see many not wanting to leave Queens this season.
He’ll want to play in the playoffs and possibly the WS. The Rangers are headed in that direction. And Scherzer isn’t opting out of $43.3M no matter where he plays.
He wants to, right up until he gets there. Then he doesn’t.
If he doesn’t want to play in TEX he ll invoke his NTC, not waive it and then opt out.
He already agreed to waive the NTC. They’re just finalizing some money issues.
The interesting part of the Scherzer deal is that he’s going to a team that may need HIM to carry them into the playoff. They are competing with the Astros for the West and Heim is hurt and Eovaldi having health issues.
If the Astros pass them, they have to beat out the fourth place team from the AL East and the Mariners and Angels. No sure thing at all if Scherzer pitches to a 4 ERA. And he lost his control over 2024. Who can say that the 2024 Rangers aren’t the 2023 Mets? So he may be in exactly the same place a year from now.
They lose Martin Perez and will have more young guys coming up (hopefully). They can make trades for more consistent guys, and Japanese/US free agency can allow them to shuffle the money around. They set 20 million on fire this year on Perezz that they will get back. I highly doubt Texas does worse next year. Houston is only getting older, with almost no farm system left.
This is what happens when you’re quoted saying I need to talk to the owner immediately. Uh no you don’t max. You’re a commodity is all
Rickover- you may have missed Max had no-trade protection.
Ever stop to think he was previously asked about waiving the no-trade clause and his comment about talking to brass was to take them up on it?
Or even just to signal he wanted out and which teams get would waive it for?
Scherzer was and is in control of where he goes as a trade.
He has a player option next year which he will most certainly exercise.
Scherzer ain’t giving up $43.3M next year after the year he’s had.
It’s 1.5 yrs of MS
True, but I still wouldn’t give up Walcott, but maybe NYM are eating a bunch of his salary.
Muscular Sclerosis?! I’ve always seen his antics as a clubhouse cancer, but to each their own!
Also maybe Canha,BP,Catcher from Mets maybe to.
Does change the Deadline for like Astros,Rays and so on.
That makes sense. It sounds like the Mets want real young players with big upsides.
Unlike the pther 29 teams in the MLB.
Walcott’s removal was apparently disciplinary and not related to a trade.
Yeah, I saw the same report, but who knows? I guess we’ll find out soon enough after Scherzer makes his decision.
Jon Heyman posted on Twitter that is was for disciplinary reasons not for a trade. Not sure what a Heyman rumor does for us but it is there.
Rangers take on scherzers entire contract and get francisco alvarez as a Consolation prize
Idiot comment from the biggest turd on this site
He’ll chime in when he gets done conjuring up the next big Tommy Edman trade
He’s probably busy satisfying himself to Lars Nootbar highlight videos. He ll have to work quick, those would not b lengthy videos….
Scherzer’s playing career is winding down and his window to win another championship is closing. Texas offers a chance at the post season this year, who knows what next year will bring for the Mets. Smart play is to waive the no-trade clause
Steve should tell Billy no if he has to seriously pay down either one’s contract.
@phenomenalajs, why? Cohen has 16 BIllion. The 60 mill left on Scherzer including the opt year is less than a half a percent. The equivalent of a guy with $10K buying a round of drinks for $50. Cohen has more money than he knows what to do with.
He didn’t make 16 billion by wasting it. Business 101.
agreed 100% @this one belongs to the Reds. but im sure he also knew when to cut losses and invest in other places. The note i responded to was saying that Cohen should forece Eppler to keep him. Good businessmen do not hold on to bad assets out of spite. They move on.
True but he could in effect buy a prospect from the Rangers if he pays down enough. That could be a smart move depending on the prospect.
@Reds, I’m sure any $ he eats his accounts write off some how. Billionaires do not become Billionaires without utilizing every loophole in tax code. Business 201.
Yep, the more you have, the more you can write off. Thank your local congressman.
So…citadel essentially combines stock buys from all over (billions) Often combined fractional buys and it sweeps the remainder (a la lex in superman)
I think people are overestimating how much contract they might have to pay down. The Rangers aren’t afraid to spend money and there is no point in trading them if they are paying a lot of the contract.
Scherzer is not worth his contract at this point. Pitchers having better years are available for far less money. Why would the Ranger’s spend far more for less performance?
Because they are desperate for a winner.
I think you miss the part about better pitchers being available now. There’s no reason for that level of desperation.
Who’s better? Verlander? I think you are overestimating how bad he is now. His ERA of the last two seasons was 2.29 and 2.46. He’s been a bit unlucky with the homerun ball this year.
Is it unlucky, or, is it unstucky?
Until he proves he can perform without getting called out for the tack, his prior years are divorced from future performance in any evaluation.
He’s still a MLB quality arm, but his contract is underwater making him, theoretically, a cheaper pickup in prospect capital
Lol what? A caveman and cash for nothing, I hope
I personally would like to see the Rangers get there shopping done, from either the Tigers or Cardinals.
All for a Rangers Cardinals deal but this might eliminate that possibility
Good for the Rangers, taking on washed up Mets pitchers
Keep Verlander please unless you get a package that blows your mind
Scherzer & cash for Kumar Rocker, currently recovering from TJ.
Would be such poetic irony if Rocker ends up back on the Mets.
The Rangers will ask the Mets to throw in a couple cases of rosin specifically formulated for Maxie. That may be one of the “hurdles” that need to be crossed. The prospect return to us may hinge on the inclusion of the rosin.
*Spidertackerosin ™
What if the Cubs went and got Verlander? Never saw that coming
Cubs Woo!
Max, we hardly knew ye.
Say Luisangel Acuna and Jack Leiter are a part of this and I’d be happy as a Mets fan. We could even throw in Vogelbach for good measure.
You won’t be happy as a Mets fan then.
You’re actually getting better players. Walcott and Porter. Walcott is only 17 and a stud. He will be a top 50 next year and Lieter is having issues.
I’d still prefer Acuna over Walcott. Porter has excellent stuff, but the walk rate scare me a bit, even if it is very early in his career. There is zero question about whether his stuff is good enough. Seems like something is definitely happening. Might be a case where having a rich owner is beneficial in that he can eat the salary and drive up the value on the return.
It’s Acuna and Saggase, Walcott was pulled for disciplinary reasons
Porter was pulled in the 3rd inning of his start with a shutout and 6k.
He looked GREAT!…Uh, against the Nationals last night. That’s like beating up a girl’s HS softball team.
The Nationals have some talent in the lineup. It’s a work in progress, but let’s not treat Washington like the A’s or Royals
The A’s did just score 19 runs in two games, regardless of opponent, it’s not bad.
The girls’ high school softball team takes offense to that!
Mets may have a little bidding war between Astros and Rangers on BOTH Verlander and Scherzer. Seems like with both teams in on both pitchers, the Mets may wiggle around to paying a smaller portion of salaries! My guess is Verlander to the Astros, because of familiarity, and not to be outdone..Scherzer to the Rangers.
They’re not trading both they need Verlander for next year
I think they absolutely trade both.
Von;
The Mets are doing what the Padres do…..
Overpay free agents, then toggle between loading up on prospects and trading batches of the prospects for expensive name players.
The future is always exciting…..it’s the present that’s a drag.
@Samuel the Mets have not been trading away prospects. That was the point of signing all the pitchers to short multi year deals with high AAV. They maintained their farm system which is one of highest ranked in MLB. And these high AAV contracts will b off the books when prospects are coming up to add players around them.
Tigers3232;
The last 3 months.
Angry O’s fan. Maybe one day Baltimore will spend some money on someone not named Chris Davis. It’s always a knock on big market teams. The Mets and Padres ownership spend money to put a good product on the field. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I guess as an O’s fan you gotta live by the future is always exciting if the present is a drag. The O’s should be in on Scherzer,Verlander,or Snell. But they won’t spend the money. Not today, not tomorrow and certainly not in the past
Verlander is worth 35 million a year, for sure, and I’d like to get him if Cohen would toss in 10 Million to offset next year’s salary, BUT
Astros can’t afford him for 24 & ’25 – Tax penalties are SERIOUSLY exorbitant, and everybody on the team currently is due for substantial raises in arb, plus the desire to extend Tucker, etc.
Heck, even now he’d take us into tax territory for this year.
Stros still have $13M in luxury tax space this year even after Graveman trade. Enough for JV for 2 months. And only $149M in luxury tax commitments next year. But I’m sure Crane would like a bit of a discount from the Mets
@stroh – Verlander, like Scherzer, still owed 15 million for this year, which puts us 2 million over; I suppose we could send Mets Brantley along with our prospects to get us back under
Has a sense they would have suitors for Scherzer, but maybe return ask might scare teams off. Solid 7 inning performance last night didn’t hurt his appeal
“Texas Rangers’ SS prospect Sebastian Walcott,
@MLBPipeline’s 6th-ranked Rangers’ prospect, was reportedly just pulled from his minor league game”.
Pulled for disciplinary reasons
Was about to say that Rangerfan.
Also, I think Porter did make a start afterall
Thank God. If they traded Acuna and Walcott, I wouldn’t have cared, but this guy Porter should not be traded, unless it’s for Cease.
Porter pulled after 52 pitches so who knows… acuna not in Frisco lineup
3 IP tonight, so, while it’s no guarantee, you’d think if he was in the return they’d hold him back.
Possible an initial version of the trade mightve called for him and they shifted the return – either not including another piece coming back, or, monetary offset changed. Who knows.
I think acuna not in lineup more telling, but as a met fan I’d be happily shocked if he came back in the trade
Insurance should presumably be paying deGrom, so even if the Rangers have to take on a good amount of money, they are essentially replacing payroll dollars not necessarily adding them
Ken Rosenthal said months ago the Rangers didn’t/couldn’t insure the deGrom contract.
Given his injury history the cost would likely have been prohibitive.
DeGrom, due to amount and injury history,is uninsureable.
They were not able to get his contract insured due to his injury history. Even the insurance companies knew it was a bad deal.
Samson addressed player insurance in one of his podcasts this week. Insurance medicals, pre existing injury exclusions, cost prohibitive, court battles over non payment….interesting stuff. Worth a listen if your interested in how it goes down.
Any chance you could provide a link to that podcast? Sounds interesting.
Pretty sure in it’s in this one
open.spotify.com/episode/4poKnmtv90W2eFq0lsfHPK?si…
If not, try the episode before it.
Title needs to be updated Heyman just said on Twitter agreed on just needing Scherzsr’s approval.
Would be hilarious if the return was Kumar Rocker.
Mets already know they don’t want him
Juice Box Journal?
OK,I was right about Scherzer to the Rangers, NOW Verlander to the Astros, Dodgers, or staying with Mets! Any other team is a sleeper!
JV stays. Hes made it clear he wants to stay unlike diva Max
I know this isn’t the case, but it’d be hilarious if deGrom is part of the return to NY.
I don’t think it’s that far fetched but yeah probably not.
deGrom and Rocker would be hilarious.
Fascinated to know what the return and how much Cohen cash is going to Dallas. Have to respect Rangers org for being all in and aggressive. The fans deserve it
Oh the fans will be paying for it. This isn’t a gift to them and won’t be coming out of the owner’s pocket.
Right. It will be coming out of Cohen’s pocket.
Cool trade between two organizations that won’t do the heavy lifting required to build and sustain success. “Just throw $$$ at it, guys!” LMAO
You need to do both to have sustained success. But the Rangers have never won it all so I think just 1 championship would be worth whatever price they pay.
The Mets have one of top ranked farm systems in the game. They signed these short high AAV multi year deals to try and b competitive while they do the heavy lifting on young controllable players.
Tigers3232;
Please…
Depending on the organization doing the ranking, the Mets fit into the middle of MLB’s farm system rankings by most people (who are usually wrong in that they push the big market teams)…and that was BEFORE they called up the 3 primary prospects this year.
@Tiger3232 Samuel nails it. After Senga, Baty, and Alvarez were called up, fangraphs had the Mets farm ranked at #21, and that’s 3 years after Cohen bought the team, when they were ranked #23. I think Acuna did push them all the way to #15, and they’ll probably go at least a little higher if they deal Canha and Phama. Keep in mind a lot of the valuation of the Mets farm depends on the slack-jawed overwhelmed Vientos, and that the Mets preferred to bring up Mendick and DJ Stewart rather than Mauricio. If those two fail, you can put the Mets farm around #24, currently.
GREAT MOVE for the Mets, not sure what the Rangers are thinking! I’m a Dodger fan, still not over Mr dead arm in the playoffs.
WampumWalloper;
For all the posts here nongraduating the Rangers, I was about to write that they need to ask a Dodger fan his/her opinion of bringing in Mr. Scherzer for the stretch run.
Thanks for showing up first.
That escalated quickly
Not a Scherzer fan but I like the Rangers so good luck Rangers.
Once again, St. Louis’ Mo has his thumb up his butt.
He’s not alone. The kid GM is napping too but big Bob wouldn’t pay that kind of $$$ despite an 83 million payroll.
@mean grean
So you think it would be a good deal for St.L to trade for Max and his salary?
Texas is going MAD (Max).
The Angels might as well quadruple down and trade anything of value they still have in their farm system for even more help. They are going to need it to get past TEX, HOU, SEA, and the AL East teams to secure one of the wildcard spots.
I think Seattle will be left in the dust. But yeah the other teams are playing to win it all.
Wow….I didn’t think the Mets would do this. I can’t wait to see the details of this. Wonder what they have up their sleeve for next years rotation
Ohtani 15 years 800 million
Gets dealt at next years trade deadline…..Cohen eats 300 million…..
Well, best of luck to all inolved, but I dont see how this moves the needle much for Rangers.
Foscue and a pitching prospect would be a great return. Foscue has great plate discipline and 3B and DH are weak spots in the Mets lineup. Mets also need young starting pitching
Mets have Baty at 3B.
Foscue is 2b and that makes more sense for the mets bc i assume they may move mcneil before next year
How close they are is also a factor. If they are in the low minors Rookie and single A leagues, it makes more sense to duplicate a perceived strength. The Mets got a catcher, and SS from the Marlins.
Foscue is pretty polished, but i doubt TX trades him in this deal
He could be used at 2nd while Seager is out and Semien goes to SS, or he can move to the outfield, with his elite plate discipline (more BB than K at AAA).
Sack of used balls if they don’t eat that salary
Even if they paid his entire contract for this year and next I wouldn’t give up more then a mid prospect. The guy is toast.
Now Scherzer in serious talks with Scott Boras on what, or how much to demand for waiving No-Trade clause. Boras wants his cut. Max may not waive. I’m not familiar with Rangers Ownership and their supply of $$$! But Cohen has plenty if he prefers to stay with Mets, just to guarantee he gets his $$$!
This is true. If he demands they tack on another year guaranteed like Arenado did, I bet the Rangers so thanks but no thanks.
Max has already agreed to go.
7:45pm: Feinsand relays that Scherzer has not yet waived his no-trade clause.
Maxxie Pad is gonna get lit up in Arlington.
I’d imagine Jack Leiter is going back?
No, Max has almost no marginal value given he’s still owed $60m over one and a third seasons. They’ll get a good rookie league type most likely.
Doubt that
I mean it depends on how much $$ is going to Texas with him. Mets could buy a good prospect if they want.
Thats my gut… they’ll pay a significant portion… we’ll see, they’re obviously negotiating that now
Lol. Where do people pull ideas from. Oh wait. I know.
If Texas wants him, they’ll meet the Mets price. It also depends on if this is a salary dump for the Mets, of if they want multiple prospects back. If they want a good package of prospects, they’ll have to eat some, or most of the contract.
Glad he won’t be wearing Cleon’s number anymore.
That didn’t take long.
Wow! I was expecting Verlander’s name here. Good on the Rangers for making moves!
If you’re gutting this team, just ditch everyone and build from the bottom up.
Well that’s something
Scherzer is a Bulldog who wants to pitch in meaningful games, this deal gets done!
Nah, just like in Detroit, Max doesn’t like pitching in Justin’s shadow.
Except he chokes on meaningful games
Glad he’s gone. He’s a tough guy. Remember when he was going to his lawyer after he got suspended, only to put his tail between his legs and serve the next day.
Then he was going to the front office today. And they just threw him to the curb.
Lol Ineptler abused him.
Glad he’s gone. He’s a tough guy. Remember when he was going to his lawyer after he got suspended, only to put his tail between his legs and serve the next day.
Then he was going to the front office today. And they just threw him to the curb.
Lol Ineptler abused him
The Scherzer deal between Mets and Rangers is on hold pending Carlos Correa Physical!
all the Mets fans who think the Rangers are going to trade walcott for scherzer are insane… if Walcott is involved there are alot more moving parts involved.
This is all SO LOL in an intensely interesting way
Karen Scherzer – Yes, I’d like to speak with whomever is in charge here…
*2 seconds later, Karen is whisked from the building by security.
LOL! *coffee spew gif
Scherzer
I wanted them to get Verlander. Scherzer can’t pitch unless he has the sticky stuff. I never thought he was as good as his numbers indicated and now I know why. he’s avg without the sticky stuff.
Scherzer has been amazing for over 10 years. You’re saying he cheated every single season?
People told me Scherzer wasn’t really on the market.
I didn’t think the Mets were going to trade any of their pitchers. The Mets have no pitching in their minor league system, and next years free agent pitching class is pretty bad.
Heyman is saying Ronald Acuna’s brother, Luisangel Acuna will be in the deal if it’s finalized.
Rangers must be desperate.
Walcott was pulled for disciplinary reasons
Get the vacuum, the house cleaning has begun.
Every 10 years or so the Mets figure out why did we spend so much for this.
Excuse me while I deliver this check to Bobby Bonilla. Oh BTW Mets ticket prices are up 20% next year.
ESPN St. Louis wants to hunt the Cardinals GM down like Shriek for sitting on his hands with all these trades going on.
Let’s wait until Tuesday before freaking out man.
What, you wanted the Cards to trade for Scherzer?
Don’t do it, Max
Hey Rangers,
Wanna lose now and crater later?
My guy Max made a big deal about he wanted to “chat with the brass” about the direction they’re taking and got shown the door.
Did his fair share to contribute to the turd pile that was the 2023 Mets and I’d gladly see him gone for a portion of the $ and a can of low sodium spam. So underrated. The spam, obviously…
This is like marrying a gold digger and then complaining that she left you for somebody richer.
Max is a hired gun. He has no loyalty and neither do the Mets.
No one in this business has any loyalty. I got news for you. They tell you they do because it makes sense to do so financially. But they don’t. You’ll find out when Arenado gets traded to the Dodgers, which is one of the places he has wanted to go all along (the Yankees being the other) but neither was in the market when his opt out came.
Mets TV (SNY) saying Scherzer will waive his no-trade. CBS Sports saying it’s a done deal pending physicals and financial issues.
Not only does Scherzer go to a team currently in first place, he’s going to a state that has no state income tax.
LOLmets endures.
Could be everyone wants Max to waive his opt-out before the deal so the cash component is locked in.
Mets don’t want to be on the hook for extra without the pound of flesh to go with it.
Rangers don’t want to pay extra for salary relief next year and have max decline the player option, and get nothing for the extra cost.
Max wants…. who knows?
That’s not an issue. The dollar amount can be be conditional on whether he opts out or not. The leverage is all with the player, so there’s no chance he waives the opt out. What’s probably going on is him demanding the Rangers guarantee another year, or a parting gift when the contract runs out.
It appears the option IS an issue, and, I can’t blame the rangers for wanting it triggered one way or another.
You want to know if you’re paying for a pure rental, or, for 1+ years.
With an already obscene salary in place, I dont see raising it even higher as a palatable option for either team to assume, although, stranger things have happened.
this is a bit out of date, Scherzer approved, they are working on financials now.
Then he hasn’t approved. There would be no financials to work on if he’s approved.
He can approve yet the Mets can still decline to trade him.
DeGrom told him the trainers in Texas are excellent. I’m very curious how much $alary that the Mets eat on this.
This is a good move for the Rangers. Bravo.
Not sure how we’re able to conclude that it’s a good move for anyone without knowing the prospects or $ involved….
To get a pitcher at his caliber in the midst of a playoff race is a good move. This will separate them from the rest of the teams in the division.
It is good to know who is involved but still a great gamble for the Rangers.
You sure he’s “that caliber” anymore? He has to be better than Dane Dunning for it to be an upgrade, even setting aside the money. I have my doubts.
they better start separating soon @doom because after tonight’s games we’re just one back of them
He might be declining this year but the change of scenery could help, especially since he is headed to a winning team. He’s been a gamer his whole career, so a bad 4 months can easily change upon a new team and environment.
It’s worth a gamble for a long postseason run.
Take White, Foscue and/or Harris but no one else!
He has agreed to waive the no trade clause, MLB Network has reported.
Rangers fans get ready to see alot of home runs sailing out of the park.
They hit their fair share, it’ll be fine.
Brock porter was just pulled from his start in single A.
He pitched. False alarm.
3.0 (good) ip. Don’t know if that’s consistent with his expected workload…
52 pitches…. Hes been at around 70 pitches lately
Remember when his arm passed away as a Dodger? Hard pass Nick Krall..
Remember when he was 7-0 down the stretch for the Dodgers
Max wants another championship run, he’s getting traded.
Since we’re all speculating, looks like Acuna isnt in frisco’s lineup tonight
Wow. So many layers.
1) what do the Mets get in return? You have to get a blue chipper to go along with Jack Leiter. I know Leiter hasn’t shown much yet but kid’s got nasty stuff.
2) how much do the Mets buy this contract down?
3) is Verlander next and how the heck are they replacing Scherzer and/or Verlander in the rotation next year?
1. Depends on the $
2. Depends on the prospects
3. $ and $
Luisangel acuña and Jack Leiter would be a good return. Mad Max doesn’t have much left in the tank
Nope. You don’t need Leiter +. If they pay all of that contract and add in a reliever, maybe Leiter and a top 30 prospect in the org may go to the Mets. We will see, and I may be way off, but I know they aren’t trading Leiter AND a top 100 prospect for sure.
My man is not walking away from $43 million next year, not after how this year has gone.
Mets are reportedly getting back Acuña’s lil bro Luisangel. He’s the #44 prospect in mlb
I don’t believe you
He’s been scratched from his game and Andy Martino reported that it’s related to this trade. The players have been agreed upon just working out the financial aspects. Not sure if other players are involved as well.
Must be paying allllll the $.
This is good. Very good.
Combined with the return for Giolito that bodes well for other rentals.
Hey, I can dig this
Nice to see a different team other than the Yankees or Dodgers
No sticky stuff=higher ERA
If batters can use pine tar, why shouldn’t pitchers be able to?
Yanks – different reasons, different effects.
Pine tar gives a competitive advantage to a pitcher, doesn’t do anything for a batter such as hitting with more power or better contact.
Pine tar gives the batter better grip of the baseball bat. It’s like batting gloves except more advantageous
Ronald Acuna Jr younger brother going to Mets?
That’s what Martino is reporting.
Yes, Luisangel
I like that profile picture lol
Thanks! I just googled Yankees Jets in Google images. Felt this was great for mobtr and pro football rumors lol
That would suggest the Mets bought a higher level prospect. I bet they’re covering not just all of this year but a big chunk of next year’s Scherzer salary. Or else the Rangers are getting someone else too.
One of the things not being discussed is that Scherezer wanted out of NY after his meeting with the GM. Perfect example of why the Mets and Padres spending like idiots doesn’t hurt small market teams. What if there was a cap and instead of signing these two dinosaurs (Verlander and Scherzer) they were in the mix for a guy like Eflin because of a cap and the Rays weren’t able to sign him?? The FA spending spree by knucklehead teams does not hurt the Brewers or Twins.
100% correct
If the return is a top TEX prospect, NYM fans should be thrilled. Won’t make the poor season go down easier, but that organization still has much work to do on the top end of farm. Lot of wild wacky speculation ok the internet, cuz that what the internet does. Believe it when the deal is finalized.
Mets top end was one of the best preseason, but alvarez and baty came up. Their lack of depth is evident, but they have some guys that will be top 100 next year (mauricio is now… parada, tidwell, maybe williams and ramirez). Beyond that… (crickets)
If they actually get Acuña back, I will indeed be thrilled.
Luisangel Acuna back to Mets in Scherzer deal to Rangers
I hope he doesn’t opt out then. Isn’t he releated the acuna in Atlanta that’s a stud? Or is he not as highly touted as highly as him?
His brother . Not as highly rated as his brother, but a solid prospect
Hopefully he doesn’t end up being as good as his brother or this will end up biting us in the ass
He’ll be ready before Seager and Semiens contracts end so makes sense.
He was never a Met, so what do you mean back to Mets?
He means going to the Mets in return for Scherzer. C’mon man. Wasn’t that apparent?
Back to the Mets, as in Max going to the Rangers and Acuna going back to the Mets. It’s just a manner of speech, not sure why you need to be so obtuse.
I genuinely thought there was a misunderstanding.
Hopefully Foscue is in the deal. He doesn’t have a path to the MLB in Texas.
Luisangel Acuna back to Mets..means he is going back in the deal, not going back as a former Met!
Deal reportedly ON HOLD FOR NOW!
I just read on CBS Sports that Acuna is likely going to the Mets in the deal, they didn’t list any other players, and that the Mets are still working on getting Max to waive the NTC.
Rangers could be pivoting towards Verlander instead of Scherzer, maybe.. Same deal in play for Verlander or Scherzer! Batman to Commissioner Manfred! Come in Commissioner!
Scherzer on top of taking the Mets money is going to give them one more kick in the balls and veto this trade.
Would have nothing to do with kicking anyone in the balls, just whether the Rangers are willing to add some $$ to the deal to get him to pick up and move to Dallas for a couple months. It’s just business.
You mean the Mets not the rangers. If they are trading acuna then the Mets should be paying allllll
You are highly under-valuing Scherzer and over-valuing Acuna.
Whomever pays it (the CBA says it’s the acquiring team) the hold up whenever a guy with a NTC is traded is how much more money he gets. And you can’t negotiate that until the guy’s current team gives permission, which isn’t until the rest of the trade is finalized. This is just how it goes.
He’s already agreed to it. The hold up now is the financials
Nevermind, looks like the original reports were incorrect
Looks like the hold up is not prospects or financial terms between the teams, its money for Scherzer.
Looking like Acuna, Porter, and another player.
No shot Porter is included. Unless the Mets pay this years salary and next years player option.
Jon Heyman I think said Acuna is the headliner. If Porter was included I think it would be framed as Porter and Acuna to New York. He is every it as interesting a prospect as Acuna
Porter not included. He pitched tonight.
This would be a great return – Acuna is a legit prospect, top 100 with a ton of speed. Mets likely paying a lot of money, which is why there needs to be league approval. I give them credit, this is a good deal for them and their farm.
Yup, I am fine with this from a Rangers perspective as he is blocked in Texas. He will swing and miss some and will never have the power of his older brother. He does play good defense up the middle and runs like a friggin scared rabbit. Should be fun to watch in NYM
Wonder if this paves the way for McNeil’s exit from NY, at least in the offseason
Pending a complete physical including a mental evaluation of Scherzer…
might be on hold for a few days.
Mark Feinsand- “as of right now the deal is not happening”. Sherzer hasn’t waived the NTC. Maybe it won’t happen?
Scott Boras has probably something to do with it!
Hey Max, Heard there is no State income tax in Texas!
But very high sales and property tax. Doesn’t make much difference.
Just what we needed, more shortstop prospects. Its not like we have top defensive shortstop that is signed for the next 11 years. Its not like 4 of our top prospects would be natural shortstops now (Jett Williams, Mauricio, Acuna, Houck). Congats to Billy Eppler, another blunder as a GM. I dont know how this guy keeps getting job after job after job. Hes made millions off doing absolutly nothing. He destroys franchises. We need STARTING PITCHING and RELIEVERS. They really couldn’t of gotten Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker for Scherzer? I’d take even Langford for him. We dont need another shortstop
Acuna has played some CF because if he started with us he was blocked by Seager. We can’t trade Lankford in the same year we drafted him btw
@chris44 Didnt know that was a rule, my bad then
@LFGMets
He’s an elite talent, so if he can play SS, he can play OF, 3B or 2B. I don’t love Eppler either, but it’s a steal to trade a recent FA signing for a top 50 MLB prospect.
@mookie1 i disagree. Its a better than not chance that the Mets are paying atleast half his salary that hes owed. Is that really worth Acuna? I disagree unless he comes with Leiter, Rocker, or Brock Porter
Is the money coming out of your pocket? Will it somehow hamper Cohens spending in the off-season?
@LFGMets
The money doesn’t matter, it’s a sunk cost, and Cohen has tons of it. Which player will help the Mets win more games in 2024 and beyond? Scherzer or Acuna? Also, as others have pointed out, when you draft and trade for minor leaguers, you always go with best available.
Drew Smith moving to rotation.
How does that make you feel?
@raisinsss there is a better chance of Drew Smith striking out the side than there is him ever making anyones starting rotation ever
You trade for talent, not positions of need in the minors. Talent can always be flipped later.
The Mets don’t need SS’s jeez they need pitching prospects and OF prospects
They can get that when they trade, Cahna, Pham, and Verlander.
Also others to if McNeil,Nimmo were to get moved.
Just cuz they are SS in the minors doesn’t mean they would play there in the majors. Acuña has played 82 games at 2B (and 200 at SS). Maybe he moves to the OF..
This irritates me souch. He’s already not earning the contract, they found a top contender to send him to for another playoff run, and even then he’s still holding the Mets hostage. I know it’s the Mets fault for signing the contract, but he’s still a P.O.S. person and I hope he has to retire sooner than later. I’m over his childish behavior and selfish b.s.
He’s just a guy exercising the rights he bargained for.
You want to fault someone, fault the Mets for offering the no trade, option, and money to start with.
He’s not holding the Mets hostage, he’s holding the Rangers hostage. This is the whole reason guys want no-trade clauses.
If you think his 4.00 ERA is going to save their season, we have a lot more to talk about than who he’s holding hostage. He’s not holding the Rangers hostage because there are other options and better options.
He’s holding the Mets hostage because they are trying to find him a good landing spot, working out the financial issues with a deal so dramatically under water. All to hopefully save a little bit of money in the interum while they reshuffle the deck.
The people benefitting the most are Scherzer and the Mets, he’s get a playoff team and keeps making a fortune to play a game. The Mets save some money and recoup a prospect. He doesn’t need to negotiate for a million dolars to waive his clause.
Now, Scherzer is well within his rights to ask for compensation to waive his no trade clause, but he’s a jerk for doing that. His performance is literally a major factor in why they weren’t a more competitive team. He was paid to be an ace, not a #3 or #4.
Personally, if I was the Mets, I’d tell him that either you do the deal and shut your mouth or I’ll make sure if you opt into next season,the first time you struggle, I’ll option you to AAA.
The narrative being you’ll either opt out and lose the remaining money or finish your career in AAA, if you aren’t making a meaningful contribution to the success of this team.
He may have the right to hold them over a barrel, but that roght goes both ways in business. They’re paying him and as such have a right to deploy him in the way they feel best helps their team.
They can’t option him to AAA. It’s a major league contract. The only minor leagues he can be sent to is for rehab assignments.
Yes they can, he can decline the option, but would lose the remainder of the money on his contract. Don’t believe me, look up Kei Igawa, Scott Kingery, etc. The process is that the team options them to the minors, they then can decline the option because of service time and become a free agent, they would then lose the remainder of their money left on their contract, as part of the optioning process, they must clear waivers, but nobody would take on that contract, so it’s a formality.
Read below….
Right to Refuse Outright Assignment or Elect Free-Agency if Outrighted
Per Article XIX-A of the CBA, any player on an MLB 40-man roster who has accrued at least five years of MLB Service Time (as well as an international player with Article XIX-A contractual rights) has the right to refuse an Outright Assignment to the minors, or the player can elect to be a free-agent immediately upon being outrighted, or he can accept the Outright Assignment and defer his option to elect free-agency until after the conclusion of the MLB regular season.
However, an Article XIX-A player who accepts an Outright Assignment and defers his option to elect free-agency until after the conclusion of the MLB regular season forfeits his right to elect free-agency (as an Article XIX-A minor league free-agent) if he is added back to an MLB 40-man roster prior to the conclusion of the MLB regular season.
If a player with Article XIX-A rights refuses an Outright Assignment but does not elect free-agency, the club must either retain the player on the club’s MLB Reserve List (40-man roster), trade the player, or give the player his unconditional release.
If a player with Article XIX-A rights does not refuse an Outright Assignment but then elects to be a free-agent immediately after being outrighted, his contract is terminated and he receives no termination pay. But if the player accepts the Outright Assignment and defers his right to be a free-agent until the conclusion of the MLB regular season, the player continues to get paid, receiving the balance of his salary through to the end of the season. And then if the outrighted player is not subsequently added back to an MLB 40-man roster prior to the conclusion of the MLB regular season, the player can elect free-agency anytime beginning on the day after the conclusion of the MLB regular season through October 15th.
Maybe I used poor phrasing but my point is the same, they can’t send him to AAA because he won’t go. He won’t elect FA if they DFA him and releasing the player does not absolve the team from paying the contract. Kingery is still being paid the contract he signed. That money goes against they CBT. He is in the minors because no team wanted him at league minimum.
I’m not too familiar with the National League or teams that aren’t the Yankees. Just curious, how is Madmax selfish and childish?
$130M/3 yr deal, he’s going to a top 5 AL team and division leader, yet he holds up the trade to get something for them trading him to a contender to let him potentially play in October. He should take the win as a way overpaid 4.17 ERA 39 y.o. and go to the other team without compensation for waiving the no-trade clause. Also what player says to the press they need to have a discussion with the front office about the direction of the team. He should focus on pitching instead of running the club, maybe he won’t suck so much!
Aside from being entitled to the benefits of the bargain he made, once scherzer is traded he gets to arrange alternate housing and relocate to a new in-season home, with all the complications that brings.
That’s not free.
So, it’s fair to say he makes a bunch of cash. It’s fair to say he gets a shot at playing on a contender. But, he also earned the right to decide what he is willing to give up and/or pay above and beyond what he expected to in the process.
Yeah, but I guess $43M eases the concerns. None of that argument means anything. He is lucky that his old team the Mets were willing to work through the headache of getting him to a contender, so he with only a couple years left in his career could chance one more championship. They could’ve just done nothing and let him spend this year watching October baseball from the couch and maybe even next year as well. If you don’t think the Mets went out of their way to help him land with a contender/get rid of him, you’re not paying attention.
This is the point… He has the right to do all that you say, but he’s still a jerk. People put out candy at Halloween and then put a sign that says “please take one”, some greedy kid comes along and dumps the whole thing in his bucket and walks down the street without a care in the world, most of the time proud of themselves. The point is ethics versus consequence. We all know you can take the whole bowl of candy, but the right thing to do is take one, so every kids gets some. However, there’s always one kid that needs to take every last piece and that greedy kid is Max Scherzer.
Just because he has leverage doesn’t mean he had to use it, he could’ve realized that his contract already screwed the team because he wasn’t living up to it and worse they had to take on money to get rid of him, the fans missed the playoffs because he failed to live up to his contract and pitch to the value of the deal, he let down his team because his inability to pitch to the level he was expected to produce meant other players had to compensate for his lack of performance. Yet, he had to drag out the process long enough to get $1M more?
He’s going to lose 1/2 of it to taxes anyways, so what is the point? To prove he had a right to do it? We know that! To prove he could do it, despite being an overpaid, under-performing has-been? We know that too! How about he has a little humility and says, “I’m sorry I didn’t live up to my contract this year, I should’ve been better, but I’m glad the Mets worked to find me another team with a chance at the postseason, and I appreciate what the team did to get me this opportunity!” That last part never happened, because he lacks character, something that isn’t part of the contract, but which definitely defines him as a person.
I guess where we disagree is you are debating his entitlement to do what he did, while I’m debating the ethics of what he did. Nobody disagrees with you that it was his right to do it, but ethically, it makes him look bad for doing it because he could’ve gone to Texas without forcing the extra compensation.
By the way, I’m the first one to talk about the hassles that professional athletes deal with and it sucks being inconvenienced, but he could find a condo in Texas and deal with the New York crap in the offseason, it’s two months away, maybe three if he’s lucky. None of that really matters because the money he makes factors in the inconvenience of celebrity, moving around the country, constant travel for work, and being pushed-and-pulled by the media for interviews and comments.
Nobody said he had to be a professional athlete, he could’ve been a school teacher and made $50K and had his summers free to travel in an RV or worked in a factory and dreamed of the day he made it into management and he could be the Denali version of the GMC Yukon he has been dreaming about buying when he refinances his house. I’m trying to say this a bunch of different ways, so the point lands, but the takeaway is that ethics is knowing when you’re still owed something and knowing when you’ve overstayed your welcome. He clearly does not understand that distinction.
Wow, I’m sorry Hall-of-Fame pitcher Max Scherzer gave you that swirlie or whatever. It’s clear it’s still gnawing at you.
Why even bother talking to the Rangers about him if they don’t know if he will waive his NTC? I feel like asking him if he’ll accept a trade should be the first step.
There are 29 teams to choose from, but only 2 outcomes for the player to choose from. Also, there is way more uncertainty with who can be traded, and with how much cash. They can just bribe him a little to get it done, but the other team is harder to work with.
That’s not the purpose of no trade clauses. They exist purely for players to extract more money (or another year) out of an acquiring team. So Scherzer doesn’t know if he’ll approve the deal or not until he’s negotiated with the Rangers. When a player has a partial no-trade clause, he lists teams he WANTS to be traded to in addition to the ones he doesn’t. NTC’s are sort of like trade kickers by another name..