The opportunistic Rangers, seeking an upgrade for their rotation, have finalized a deal with the New York Mets to acquire three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer.
Texas is sending 21-year-old middle-infield prospect Luisangel Acuña to the Mets in the deal.
Scherzer, who turned 39 on Thursday, had complained to reporters after his start Friday about the Mets’ direction following the trade of closer David Robertson to Miami earlier in the week.
“I’ve probably got to have a conversation with our front office,” Scherzer told reporters. “You traded our closer away. I’m sure a bunch of people are going to have to have a conversation with the front office. I have not had a conversation.”
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There are complications involved in acquiring Scherzer. First, he has a full no-trade clause in his contract. Second, he has a player option for $43.3 million for 2024, which gives him, not the team, control over his future without a pre-arranged decision. The deal has been finalized, according to a report by The Athletic’s Will Sammon, but details about Scherzer’s contract beyond 2023 have not been widely reported.
That, however, is not owner Ray Davis’ concern. The concern: Protecting a two-game lead in the AL West as the pitching staff has bogged down in the absence of Jacob deGrom.
Scherzer has struggled this year to a 4.01 ERA in 107.2 innings over 19 starts. He has allowed an NL-high 23 home runs. Scherzer and Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux, however, have a strong relationship. Maddux was the Washington pitching coach in 2016-17; Scherzer won Cy Young Awards in both of those seasons.
Acuña is the third-ranked Rangers prospect according to MLB Pipeline, and the No. 71 prospect in baseball. The younger brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña, Luisangel was signed by the Rangers out of Venezuela in 2018 for $425,000. He’s hitting .315/.377/.453 at Double-A Frisco, a league where he’s much younger than his competition. But he’s a middle-infielder, his potential spot on the big league club blocked by two players who will be making over $60 million combined in 2024.
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