Max Scherzer makes big decision on blockbuster trade

Max Scherzer is officially on the move.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Saturday that the blockbuster trade agreement sending Scherzer from the New York Mets to the Texas Rangers is complete. The deal was agreed upon by the two teams earlier in the day and has now been green-lighted by Scherzer himself.

The ball was in Scherzer’s court since he had a full no-trade clause from the Mets. He has agreed to waive that no-trade clause though and will be headed to the AL West-leading Rangers to make a run at his second career World Series ring. Meanwhile, Texas will be sending 21-year-old Luisangel Acuna (the younger brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna and an exciting prospect in his own right) back to the Mets.

The former Cy Young winner Scherzer is 39 years old now and has had a pretty mediocre season with the Mets (9-4 with a 4.01 ERA and a career-worst 4.73 FIP). But he can still be a major late-season difference-maker, especially for a rotation-needy Rangers team that lost Jacob deGrom to Tommy John surgery earlier this year.

As it currently stands, Scherzer is making $43.3 million this year and holds a $43.3 million player option for 2024. He is the first huge-name domino to fall at the trade deadline, and now the attention may turn to this former Scherzer teammate next.