Rangers bolster rotation with acquisition of Scherzer
By The Associated Press
The Texas Rangers acquired three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer in a blockbuster trade with the New York Mets on Saturday night, an all-in move for the surprise leaders in the AL West, a person with knowledge of the deal said.
The Rangers added the 39-year-old Scherzer with another former Mets pitcher with Cy Young credentials, two-time winner Jacob degrom, sidelined by Tommy John elbow surgery, possibly all the way through the end of next season.
According to multiple reports, the deal nets New York one of the top Texas prospects in infielder Luisangel Acuña, the younger brother of Atlanta star Ronald Acuña Jr.
As part of the deal, Scherzer agreed to opt in on the final year of his contract in 2024 at $43 million, according to reports that also said the Mets were paying about $35 million of the remaining $58 million on the right-hander’s contract.
The Mets, one of baseball’s biggest disappointments, unloaded Scherzer two days after sending closer David Robertson to Miami for two minor leaguers.
New York began the season with the highest payroll in baseball at $353 million but are 18 games behind Atlanta in the NL East and seven games back in the wild-card race.
The next question is what the Mets will do with Justin Verlander, another threetime Cy Young winner signed through next season. There should be plenty of suitors for the 40-year-old right-hander.
Texas has emerged from six consecutive losing seasons to lead the AL West all but one day in three-time World Series champion Bruce Bochy’s first season as manager.
Now Texas has bolstered the rotation knowing degrom might be out until Scherzer’s contract expires at the end of next season.
The Rangers added degrom in the offseason on a $185 million, five-year contract, knowing there was risk in signing the oft-injured right-hander.
He lasted just six starts — all Texas wins — before elbow issues sidelined degrom for a month. It took multiple MRIS to determine the extent of the damage to his elbow, and the Tommy John procedure in June was the second of his career.
Scherzer (9-4) was leading the Mets in victories but had his highest ERA (4.01) since 2011 with Detroit. The eight-time All-star started Friday at home against Washington, allowing one run in seven innings in a 5-1 New York victory.
With 210 career victories, Scherzer is third among active pitchers behind Verlander and Kansas City’s Zack Greinke.
Blue Jays closer Romano put on IL
The Toronto Blue Jays placed closer Jordan Romano
on the 15-day injured list because of a sore lower back, one day after the right-hander left with two outs in the ninth inning of a 4-1 win over the Angels.
Romano left the July 11 All-star Game because of a sore back and did not pitch again until July 20.
He pitched three more times before Friday, when he appeared uncomfortable on the mound. Manager John Schneider came out for a visit and left Romano in the game, but later replaced him with Yimi García.
A two-time All-star, Romano
is 4-5 with a 2.79 ERA and 28 saves in 31 chances. He’s tied with Baltimore’s Felix Bautista and Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase for the AL saves lead.
Phillies cut Song
The Philadelphia Phillies designated Navy veteran Noah Song for assignment.
The 26-year-old righthanded pitcher was taken by the Phillies from Boston in the Rule 5 draft during the league’s winter meetings in December with hopes he would play after completing his military service.
If Song clears waivers, Boston will have the option of taking him back to its organization.
Song reported to major league spring training on Feb. 23 after the Navy granted his transfer from active duty to the reserves. He hadn’t pitched in a professional game since Aug. 29, 2019, for Class A Lowell.
Song went 1-0 with a 7.36 ERA in eight games in stints with three of Philadelphia’s minor league teams while on the major league injured list with a lower-back strain. Song’s 30-day rehab assignment ended last week, forcing the Phillies to decide whether to add him to the active roster or expose him to waivers and offer him back to the Red Sox if he is not claimed.
The Phillies are in the thick of the wild-card race and opted not to use a roster spot on a pitcher who had not pitched in any game before this season since 2019.
“(The major league coaching staff) hasn’t really seen him,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said of Song. “We trust the people who have seen him and if they think it can work then we try to make it work. There just wasn’t enough there.”
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Song was picked from the Red Sox in the draft for unprotected minor league players. Philadelphia put him on the military list while he continued active duty. The Red Sox drafted Song in the fourth round — he likely would’ve gone much higher, but his impending military service caused teams to back off.
Song impressed in his only pro season, making seven starts for Boston’s Class A Lowell affiliate in 2019, with a 1.06 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 17 innings. With a fastball clocked in the upper 90s mph, he dominated that year as a senior at the U.S. Naval Academy, going 11-1 with a 1.44 ERA and 161 strikeouts in 94 innings.