Max Scherzer doesn’t appear to be on the move until a second consecutive trade deadline.
The Rangers star pitcher suggested during remarks on “Foul Territory” on Wednesday that he has no plans to waive his no-trade clause to join a new team.
“Oh, I’m not going to do that,” Scherzer told AJ Pierzinski. “I don’t think we even need to think about that. I think we can play better baseball. There’s no point even talking about it. I think we’re going to win here.”
The 39-year-old was traded from the Mets to the Rangers in late July of last year after starting 42 games over two seasons with New York.
In return, the Mets received top young players Drew Gilbert and Luis Ángel Acuña, who are ranked No. 3 and No. 5 on the team’s prospect rankings, according to MLB Pipeline.
After his unceremonious departure from New York (Scherzer said Mets brass told him the team was waving the white flag not just for 2023 but also for 2024), Scherzer started eight games for the Rangers, posting a 3.20 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 45 innings.
Texas earned an American League wild-card berth and turned a hot streak into a stunning World Series victory, but Scherzer’s role in the postseason was limited by injury.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner made just three starts during the Rangers’ 2023 postseason, posting a dismal 6.52 ERA in 9 2/3 innings.
Injury concerns for Scherzer remain in the early stages of 2024, with nerve issues 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.
Since making his debut on June 23, Scherzer has posted a 3.09 ERA in 23 1/3 innings over four starts.
However, the current world champion has struggled to defend his title so far.
The Rangers entered Wednesday’s game with a 44-48 record, 5.5 games behind the Mariners for the AL West and seven games behind the Boston Red Sox for the final AL wild-card spot.
Injuries to key pitchers Scherzer, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi have proven difficult to overcome, while key hitters Adoris Garcia, Evan Carter and Jonah Haim are in decline in 2024.
With Scherzer’s three-year, $130 million contract set to expire after this season and the Texans potentially losing Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney and David Robertson off the market this winter, it’s thought the team could be looking to sell some old assets before the deadline.
But general manager Chris Young and manager Bruce Bochy appear intent on focusing on returning key pitchers and improving the offense to build a late-season surge.
