Mets trade Max Scherzer to Texas Rangers in exchange for Luisangel Acuña

The Mets have traded Max Scherzer and $35 million to the Rangers in exchange for top prospect Luisangel Acuña.

Well, well, well.

Less than 24 hours after Max Scherzer made comments about having a discussion with the club’s front office that turned some heads, he is apparently on his way out of New York.

The Mets have officially agreed to terms on a trade that would send Scherzer to the Texas Rangers, according to both clubs. After much uncertainty around whether or not Scherzer would waive his no-trade clause, the deal was reportedly completed on Saturday evening.

New York is trading Scherzer and paying off approximately $35 million of his remaining contract in exchange for Rangers No. 3 prospect Luisangel Acuña.

Acuña, 21, is a shortstop/second baseman and the younger brother of Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. In 84 games in Double-A this season, Acuña is hitting .315/.377/.453 with seven home runs, 25 doubles, 51 RBI, 42 stolen bases and 68 runs scored. SNY prospect czar Joe DeMayo ranks Acuña as the Mets’ new top prospect after the deal.

Considering Scherzer’s age and struggles this season, this is quite the get for this organization. In addition to what he’s able to do in free agency, situations like this really show off the true might of Steve Cohen, who is able to acquire a legitimate top prospect just by showing the willingness to pay down larger contracts. It is quite the contrast of the Wilpon era, which often saw fire sales net very little in return due to the resistance to pay-off contracts.

Following his comments on Friday where he claimed he needed to speak to the front office and ownership about the future direction of the organization, it seems fairly safe to assume that Scherzer may have forced his way out of New York after realizing the team was going to become sellers.

After a great debut season with the club, Scherzer’s encore with the Mets has gone much differently. In 19 starts this season, Mad Max has pitched to a 4.01 ERA and a 4.73 FIP with several ups and downs along the way. Scherzer has complained about the pitch clock on more than one occasion, was ejected from a game earlier this season for using a foreign substance and then, of course, made the comments he did following last night’s game.

Scherzer was expected to be one of the club’s two aces and his underperformance this season has been one of the biggest key reasons as to why the club is now forced to act as sellers at the trade deadline.

It’s been a wild rollercoaster with Max Scherzer, a man that no one ever expected the Mets would be able to get when he was a free agent less than two years ago. Now, just one season removed, Scherzer appears to have potentially forced his way out of New York. And honestly with the way he has performed this season, some of the things he has said and knowing that he’s going to opt into his contract for 2024, the Mets are probably better off without him.

The club will, of course, have to figure out how they’re going to make up their rotation for next season, but that is a challenge for another day.