For the second time this week, the New York Mets have traded one of their veteran pitchers to a contending team. This time, Max Scherzer agreed to waive his no-trade clause, and was traded, along with roughly $36 million, to the Texas Rangers on Saturday night. In exchange for Scherzer, the Mets received infielder Luisangel Acuña, the younger brother of star Ronald Acuña.
New York Mets deal Max Scherzer to Texas Rangers
Shortly before an embarrassing 11-6 loss at the hands of division-rival Washington, reports began to surface that the New York Mets had found a match for the aging Scherzer, who has struggled to stay consistent this season. As the game entered a rain delay,the trade was finalized, with Scherzer agreeing to both waive his no-trade clause and exercise his player option for the 2024 season.
Scherzer has been solid but unspectacular, with a 4.01 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 107.2 innings. Underlying metrics suggest that Scherzer has been a bit unlucky, with his xERA sitting at 3.65. Still, this is not the ace-like production that Mets fans expected from the veteran. Scherzer was dominant in his first season with the Mets in 2022, going 11-5 with a 2.29 ERA and 173 strikeouts in 145.1 innings.
Owner Steve Cohen is clearly unafraid to open his checkbook, paying down a chunk of Scherzer’s remaining salary to boost the prospect return. In this case, Acuña is a surprising get for an aging, seemingly regressing star. The 21-year-old Acuña has spent the entire season at Double-A, where he is running a strikeout rate below 20 percent, and a near double-digit walk rate. With 25 doubles, seven home runs, and an .830 OPS, Acuña has registered a 121 wRC+. FanGraphs quickly slotted Acuña into the second spot in the Mets’ prospect rankings, citing his exciting athleticism and strong chance to stick at shortstop as reasons for optimism.
Of course, prospects do not come without some level of risk, and Acuña’s swing rate of ~50 percent is cause for pause. As he moves up the organizational ladder, better pitching may exploit Acuña’s aggressive approach. Still, these type of athletes are not readily available, and Cohen’s insistence on building through the farm system will always bring risk. Acuña’s ceiling is that of an above-average big leaguer, even if he is forced off shortstop due to the presence of Francisco Lindor. Hypothetically, Acuña’s athleticism and strong throwing arm could fit in the outfield.
Once again, this is likely not the final move for the Mets, but probably is the most noteworthy, unless Cohen is willing to shell out more money for a contender to take Justin Verlander. Outside of that, there have been worse moves than getting a Top 100 prospect for an aging star.