8 p.m. Saturday update
Three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer agreed to join the Texas Rangers for prized prospect Luisangel Acuña on Saturday by waiving his no-trade clause, reports say.
USA Today also reported Scherzer will exercise his $43.3 million player option in 2024, meaning he will stay with the Rangers next season.
Acuña, brother of Atlanta Braves’ outfielder Ronald Acuña, Jr., was ranked as the Rangers’ No.3 prospect by MLB.com. The middle infielder has been playing at Double-A Frisco this season, where he is hitting .277 with 11 home runs and 40 stolen bases.
In a later development, the Mets open trade talks to send pitcher Justin Verlander back to the Houston Astros, USA Today baseball columnist Bob Nightengale wrote.
5:30 p.m. Saturday: Rangers trying to acquire Scherzer
The Texas Rangers have agreed to trade for three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, MLB.com reported Saturday.
The New York Mets pitcher will have to waive his no-trade clause for the deal to happen, according to reports, which have not specified what the Rangers were offering in return.
Scherzer is 9-5 with a 4.01 ERA this season after a 5-1 victory Friday night over the Washington Nationals. The 38-year-old ace pitched seven innings and struck out seven against the Nationals.
This season, Scherzer has struck out 121 hitters in about 108 innings.
After Friday’s game, Scherzer told reporters he wanted to “have a conversation with the front office” about the direction of the Mets, according to MLB.com.
The team (49-54, fourth place in the National League East) traded closer David Robertson to the Florida Marlins for a pair of minor-league prospects on Thursday.
“I’ve got to have a conversation with the front office … about everything,” Scherzer said, per MLB.com. “That’s the most I’m going to say. You have to talk to the brass. You have to understand what they see, what they’re going to do. That’s the best I can tell you.”
The Rangers were leading the American League West by two games over the Houston Astros before Saturday’s action.
Texas is trying to make the baseball playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Scherzer is in the final guaranteed year of a two-year $86.67 million deal, MLB.com reported. He has a player option in 2024 for $43.3 million.
Despite his record this season, the Mets fell out of contention early.
“We haven’t played well enough as a team,” ESPN quoted Scherzer as saying. “I’ve had a hand in that for why we’re in the position that we’re at. Can’t get mad at anybody but yourself, but it stinks.”
Mets owner Steve Cohen said last month he would be looking to make trades by the August 1 deadline if the Mets did not improve.
“I’ll comment on it when Steve [Cohen] says sell,” Scherzer said, according to amNY. “Until then, it’s pointless. It’s just clickbait.”