It appears that Max Scherzer won’t be on the move for a second straight trade deadline.
While speaking on “Foul Territory” on Wednesday, the Rangers star pitcher indicated that he has no plans to yield his no-trade clause in order to head to a new team.
“Yeah, I’m not going to do that,” Scherzer said to A.J. Pierzynski. “I just don’t think I even have to think about that. I think we’re going to play better baseball. It’s going to be even a moot point to even talk about. I think we’re going to win here.”
The 39-year-old was dealt from the Mets to the Rangers late last July after making 42 starts in two years in the Big Apple.
In return, the Mets landed top youngsters Drew Gilbert and Luisangel Acuna, who are ranked as the team’s Nos. 3 and 5 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline.
After his unceremonious exit from New York — in which Scherzer said he was told by Mets brass that the team was waving the white flag on not only 2023 but also 2024 — Scherzer made eight starts for the Rangers, posting a 3.20 ERA while striking out 53 hitters in 45 innings.
Texas earned an AL wild card spot and turned a red-hot streak into a remarkable World Series victory, but Scherzer’s postseason role was limited due to injury.
The three-time Cy Young winner made only three starts during the Rangers’ 2023 postseason, finishing with a dismal 6.52 ERA in 9 2/3 innings.
Scherzer’s injury concerns lingered at the start of 2024, with a nerve issue in his thumb and back surgery causing the eight-time All-Star to miss all of spring training and nearly the first three months of the regular season.
After making his debut on June 23, Scherzer has produced a 3.09 ERA in four starts and 23 1/3 innings.
However, the reigning world champions have slogged through their title defense thus far.
Entering play Wednesday, the Rangers sat at 44-48, for 5 ½ games behind the AL West-leading Mariners and seven games back of the Boston Red Sox for the final AL wild card slot.
Injuries to headliner pitchers Scherzer, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi have proven difficult to overcome, while key hitters Adolis Garcia, Evan Carter and Jonah Heim have regressed in 2024.
With Scherzer’s three-year, $130 million contract slated to expire after this season — and with Texas potentially losing Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney and David Robertson to the open market this winter — there has been thought that the team could sell off older assets at the deadline.
However, it seems instead that general manager Chris Young and manager Bruce Bochy will try to lean into the returns of marquee pitching and better hitting to make a late-season surge.