The amazing Texas Rangers go all out for the ride with Max Scherzer just when they need the most momentum.
The American League West leaders acquired the three-time Cy Young Trophy winner from the New York Mets in a major trade announced on Sunday, and almost the same time they placed the pitching ace’s name Nathan Eovaldi is on the 15-day injured list with a pulled right forearm.
News of the Scherzer acquisition had started circulating on Saturday night as Rangers headed for a sixth defeat in eight games. Suddenly, their lead over the Houston Astros at the top of the standings had been reduced to a single game.
Rangers weren’t done. The Texas squad also announced the acquisition of left-handed starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery, right-handed reliever Chris Stratton and an international prize pool from the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday. In return, the Rangers traded left-handed pitcher John King and two minor league players.
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy has announced that Scherzer will make his starting debut with his new team on Thursday at home against the Chicago White Sox.
” It’s fantastic. We are pumped up. We’re getting our hands on an experienced player with a remarkable past,” Bochy said from San Diego ahead of his team’s game against the Padres.
According to Bochy, the message to his players is: “Hey, we’re serious. We are here to win. And it’s always a great message when a team does something like that. »
The trade allows the Mets to get their hands on one of the Rangers’ top prospects in Luisangel Acuna, an infielder and the younger brother of Atlanta Braves star player Ronald Acuna Jr. The Mets have indicated that Acuna will be traded to Binghamton, their AA-level farm club.
In order for the trade to go through, Scherzer dropped his no-trade clause, and the Mets will send money to the Rangers.
The 39-year-old veteran pitcher also agreed to activate the final year of his contract, in 2024, for $43.3 million, according to various sources, who also said the Mets would pay about $35 million of the $58 million remaining in Scherzer’s contract.
“Obviously Max’s track record is that of a future Hall of Famer, and the winner that he is is totally in line with what we need right now. You can never have enough starting pitchers and adding someone of Max’s caliber is a big plus for our club,” said Rangers general manager Chris Young, himself a former pitcher in the major leagues.
“We got our hands on the player who we believe is going to help us get where we want to go this year. »
The Mets, one of the biggest disappointments this season, traded Scherzer just days after shipping stopper David Robertson to the Miami Marlins for two minor league players on Thursday night.
The Mets entered the season with the largest payroll in all of baseball, a record $353 million. However, they entered Sunday 18 games behind the Atlanta Braves, the National League East leaders, seven games down in the draft standings, and with several teams to play for.
“We just couldn’t get the consistency we wanted,” Mets general manager Billy Eppler said.
After six straight campaigns with losing records, the Rangers have held first place in the American League West since the very beginning of the season, except for one day.
Bochy, a three-time World Series winner between 2010 and 2014 with the San Francisco Giants, is in his first campaign at the helm of the Rangers.
Scherzer (9-4) led the Mets in wins, but his 4.01 ERA is his highest since 2011 when he played with the Detroit Tigers.
On Friday, Scherzer faced the Nationals in New York. He gave up one run in seven innings in a 5-1 Mets win.
With 210 career wins, Scherzer ranks third among active pitchers behind Verlander and Zack Greinke of the Kansas City Royals.
As for Acuna, 21, he had a .315 batting average with seven homers and 51 RBI in 84 games with Frisco at the AA level. He also hit 25 doubles and led the Texas League with 42 stolen bases and 68 runs scored.
