Future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer commented on potentially being dealt away from the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of the trade deadline.
Turning 42 years of age on July 27, Scherzer could very well be entering the final few months of his storied baseball career.
This season has been a nightmare for the three-time Cy Young Award winner, who has pitched in just six games for the Blue Jays. He has a 1-4 record in those games with an elevated 10.23 ERA and a -1.0 bWAR, shockingly bad numbers for the man known affectionately as “Mad Max.”
Scherzer is currently on the injured list, but he had a solid rehab start for Triple-A Buffalo and could soon be activated from the IL. The question is, will his next start be in Toronto or somewhere else?
Max Scherzer Comments on Potential Trade
With the Blue Jays likely to miss the playoffs this season, Scherzer could potentially be dealt at the trade deadline to a contender who wants to take a flier on a two-time World Series winner who could provide a depth option in their starting rotation and plenty of postseason experience and leadership in the clubhouse.
Scherzer has a no-trade clause, so it’s ultimately up to him if he wants to go anywhere. When asked by reporters if he would be willing to waive his NTC to leave the Blue Jays, Scherzer said that he isn’t thinking about that right now, as he is just taking it one game at a time with a Blue Jays team that he still wants to believe can make a playoff run despite their season-long struggles.
“There’s nothing for me to say. We have a job to do. We need to win baseball games. We’ve got to go one-and-oh today. When whatever happens, happens, we’ll talk about that at a different time. We have a job to do, go one-and-oh,” Scherzer said (via Sportsnet).
“(Thinking about trades) is not our job. I get the question. Fair. But, literally, it’s our job to go out there and play baseball and win a baseball game. We can’t do anything else. Once we get past that deadline and whatever happens happens, then we can talk about whatever needs to happen. But until that decision, until that day, your job is to go pitch and go one-and-oh.”
Who Would Want Max Scherzer?
Despite his age and struggles this season, Scherzer is on a cheap contract paying him just $3 million guaranteed plus incentives, so he could be a value option for contenders who are looking to add depth to their starting rotation.
A team such as the Milwaukee Brewers, a World Series contender that has a smaller payroll, could potentially send a player to be named later to Toronto for Scherzer. He could also potentially be flipped back to one of his former teams, such as the Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals, or Los Angeles Dodgers.
If he does get traded, the Blue Jays won’t get much for him. But if Toronto continues to call further behind in the playoff race and a contender wants to take a shot on Scherzer, he would have to seriously consider waiving his NTC to leave the Blue Jays and get one final crack at winning a third World Series.
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