The Texas Rangers general manager, Chris Young, was known for his mantra that a team can never have enough starting pitchers. This was evident during the recent offseason when the team acquired three veteran starters. Now, just two days before the Trade Deadline, the Rangers have added yet another talented pitcher to their roster. They have acquired Max Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, from the Mets in exchange for young prospect Luisangel Acuña and an undisclosed amount of cash.
Who Did the Mets Trade for Max Scherzer?
It has been reported that Max Scherzer will be joining the Texas Rangers, while the Mets, the team with the highest payroll in Major League Baseball history, have come to the realization that money cannot guarantee success.
Despite committing almost half a billion dollars this season, the Mets have failed to achieve their goal of winning the World Series. On Friday morning, the team traded their closer, David Robertson, to the Miami Marlins for two young prospects, indicating that the front office had given up hope. The following day, they agreed to trade Max Scherzer, a star pitcher who is expected to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Luisangel Acuña, the brother of Atlanta’s superstar outfielder, Ronald Acuña Jr.
The trade is conditional on Scherzer waiving his no-trade clause and was confirmed by an anonymous source who was not authorized to speak publicly about the negotiations. As part of the deal, Scherzer will exercise his player option for 2024, which is worth $43.3 million.
During a press conference at Citi Field on Friday, Scherzer acknowledged the Mets’ current position in the National League East and took responsibility for the team’s lackluster performance. “We have not been playing well together as a team, and I am partly to blame for the situation we are in. It’s frustrating, but we can only be mad at ourselves,” he said.
Last season, the Mets had an impressive record of 101-61, which was second only to the legendary 1986 team. However, this year’s performance has been subpar, with a record of 49-54 and a considerable gap behind Atlanta in the division, as well as a limited chance in the wild-card race.
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Despite spending $377 million and incurring $105 million in luxury tax penalties, it seems that the 2023
The Mets will not even have the opportunity to experience the disappointment of losing in the first round again.
As a lifelong fan, he has observed past owners attempt to purchase their way to the top, but this
method has not proven successful.
In the 1990s, Bobby Bonilla, Vince Coleman, and Bret Saberhagen were unable to deliver the desired
results, and the same was true in the 2010s with Johan Santana, Francisco Rodriguez, and Jason Bay.
Even with the acquisition of Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and Francisco Lindor, this approach has not worked.
Despite Scherzer’s departure, we will continue to refer to the trio in the present tense.
Verlander, aged 40, is under contract until the end of next season, while Lindor, aged 30, is under
contract until 2031.
Although they have performed well, they have not achieved greatness. This season, the three players combined will earn a total of $119 million.
Max Scherzer has a 9-4 record this season, but his earned run average of 4.01 is his highest in 12
years.
He has allowed the most home runs in the National League, with a total of 23. However, when he is able to throw his slider effectively, Scherzer can still be a dominant pitcher.
At 39 years old, he is in the later stages of his career and would be a valuable addition to any team in
the pennant race.
In Texas, Scherzer will take the place of Jacob deGrom, who signed with the Rangers for a five-year,
$185 million contract and had to undergo Tommy John surgery after just six starts.
Despite this setback, the Rangers have remained in first place and continue to spend heavily in pursuit
of their first World Series title.
While spending can bring advantages, as demonstrated by teams like the Phillies who won the World
Series last year with their well-paid players, Mets’ owner Steve Cohen has always maintained that
winning requires more than just money. Despite his lavish spending, this message still holds true.
It’s possible that the new recruits, as well as those to come, could become major players, but that
remains to be seen. Either way, the shift in organizational strategy is a promising development.
Without question, the standout of this disappointing season has been Francisco Alvarez, the hard-
hitting 21-year-old catcher who seems destined for a big future. We could use more players like him.
Focusing on building around Alvarez and other up-and-coming players in Flushing will prevent the
Mets from spending excessively in their pursuit of victory.
Of course, fans shouldn’t be concerned with a billionaire’s financial situation. The key takeaway is that younger players tend to be superior, not just less expensive.
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