"The Rangers had recognized starting pitching represented a potential weakness and resolved to address it at the deadline. Texas didn't want just any starter, though. The Rangers sought impact arms, ones who could start what they hoped would be their first postseason games since 2016.
For Scherzer to be available was unthinkable at the beginning of the season, and here he was, ready to be had, the confluence of months of planning and weeks of intense scrutiny and days of discussion that helped unleash a deluge of trades consequential to the remainder of the 2023 season."
" A FEW WEEKS before the Aug. 1 deadline, executives who checked in with Mets general manager Billy Eppler to gauge New York's potential deadline activity left the conversations intrigued. The Mets lagged in fourth place in the National League East, and Eppler didn't discount the possibility of punting on the season, even after the team had committed to more than $450 million in salaries and luxury-tax payments. It all depended, he said, on how the Mets played leading up to the deadline. And for curiosity's sake, he wondered, if they did unload players, might there be any interest in Scherzer or Verlander, his co-aces with matching $43.3 million annual salaries?
For the Rangers, the answer was yes, even with the complications of Scherzer's full no-trade clause and a player option for the 2024 season. The Rangers' aggressiveness, illustrated in market-rocking free agent deals with Seager, Semien and deGrom over the previous two offseasons, is a feature, not a bug. When they like, they pounce.
And they really liked Scherzer. Future Hall of Famer, three-time Cy Young Award winner, owner of more strikeouts than anyone since his 2008 debut, Scherzer, now 39, remains a formidable force, throwing as hard as he did a decade ago."
" On July 27, he started receiving text messages from players on other teams, including Texas, each a different spin of the same sentiment: We want to trade for you, and you should waive your no-trade clause and come here. Scherzer couldn't help but be caught off-guard by the entreaties. He liked playing for the Mets. He signed with the team in 2022 to signal a new era under Cohen. He didn't want to leave. He wanted to win in New York.
Later that day, when the Mets traded reliever David Robertson to the Miami Marlins, Scherzer sought a meeting with Cohen for clarity about the team's plans going forward. On July 28, Cohen informed him the team was not planning a free agent spending spree this winter -- certainly, nothing like the $498.1 million they guaranteed in the 2022-23 offseason -- and was targeting 2025 as the beginning of its next window. At that point, Scherzer decided he would not stand in the way of a deal that landed him in a desirable spot."
" Meanwhile, the starting-pitching market was thinning out quickly. After deciding not to trade Ohtani, the Angels had acquired right-hander Lucas Giolito from the Chicago White Sox, who also moved right-hander Lance Lynn to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Chicago Cubs, who were just two games ahead of the Mets at the start of July, surged into contention and decided not to trade right-hander Marcus Stroman. The Boston Red Sox were noncommittal on dealing left-hander James Paxton. The Detroit Tigers' price on left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez was too rich. Texas was ready to pounce, and the Rangers preferred Scherzer to Verlander, whose contract included a player option for 2025, his age-42 season.
Scherzer waived his no-trade clause to play for a team he thought could win the World Series. Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
For a starter of Scherzer's caliber, they were willing to deal Luisangel Acuña, a 21-year-old middle infielder at Double-A and brother of Mets tormenter and NL MVP favorite Ronald Acuña Jr. They haggled over how much money would accompany Scherzer in a potential deal, and the landing spot was a staggering number: The Mets would pay $35.51 million of the $58.01 million owed to Scherzer through 2024. The Rangers would cover $10 million for the final two months this season and just $12.5 million for all of next year -- the typical cost of a season for a decent reliever, not Max Scherzer.
The two teams agreed to the framework of the deal late night July 28, about 24 hours after Robertson was traded. It was still contingent on two things: Scherzer waiving his no-trade clause and opting into his player option for 2024, which Texas considered a must to give up Acuña."
