The Rangers are hanging onto the American League West lead by thread. They're giving their rotation a major upgrade for the stretch run in the form of Max Scherzer.
Mad Max is headed to Globe Life as part of a trade with the Mets. The teams agreed to a deal Saturday, and then Scherzer completed it by waiving his no-trade clause and agreeing to opt into the final year of contract in 2024. New York will send Texas a reported $35 million-plus in cash as part of the agreement.
Scherzer has been far from his best in 2023; his ERA has climbed above 4.00 for the first since his days with the Tigers.
Still, Mad Max is one season removed from striking out 173 batters in 145 1/3 innings. With the Scherzer addition, Texas would bolster a rotation that already ranks as perhaps the division's best.
MORE: Why did the Mets trade Max Scherzer?
Here's what you need to know about the reported deal:.
Max Scherzer trade details
- Rangers get: RHP Max Scherzer, cash considerations
- Mets get: SS Luisangel Acuna
The Mets are receiving highly rated shortstop prospect Luisangel Acuna, the younger brother of Braves superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. Acuna, 21, has been playing for Double-A Frisco this year. He put together a .315/.377/.453 slash line with seven home runs and 42 stolen bases in 84 games.
MORE: What to know about Luisangel Acuna
ESPN's Jeff Passan provided the full details, including how much money each team is on the hook for.
Full details of the trade, per ESPN sources:
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2023
Texas receives Max Scherzer
New York receives 21-year-old shortstop Luisangel Acuña, the brother of Atlanta star Ronald Acuña Jr.
Scherzer opts in to 2024.
The Rangers will pay Scherzer $22.5M. The Mets will cover $35M-plus.
Scherzer's name still carries weight around baseball circles, and New York's willingness to give the Rangers millions to defray the cost of Scherzer's salary helped to improve the return.
It was previously reported that Scherzer wanted to retain his player option for 2024, but he ultimately decided to stick around in Texas through the end of the contract.
Max Scherzer stats
Scherzer, 39, hasn't quite put up the numbers of some of the league's top arms this year as his career nears its close, but he still finds himself well above league-average in strikeouts.
| IP | ERA | FIP | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 |
| 107.2 | 4.01 | 4.73 | 10.1 | 2.5 | 1.9 |
He would slot nicely into an already-lively rotation that features Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray and Dane Dunning at the top and vets Martin Perez and Andrew Heaney at the bottom. Adding Scherzer to the mix seems unfair to the rest of the division.
This article has been updated.
