Max Scherzer opened up about his unexpected trade to the Rangers and the circumstances surrounding it. He admitted that he didn’t anticipate leaving the Mets, but a candid conversation with team owner Steve Cohen and general manager Billy Eppler changed the trajectory.
The unexpected trade of closer David Robertson the previous night prompted Scherzer to seek clarity on the team’s direction. While he wasn’t looking to jump ship, he wanted to understand the Mets’ vision and future plans. His preference would have been to remain with the Mets if their vision included competing in 2024.
“I talked to Billy. I was like, ‘OK, are we reloading for 2024?’ He goes, ‘No, we’re not. Basically our vision now is for 2025-2026, ‘25 at the earliest, more like ‘26. We’re going to be making trades around that’”, Scherzer told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Mets’ Strategic Focus
According to Scherzer, the Mets’ strategic shift involved trading players who would become free agents after the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Notably, this group included star players like Pete Alonso, José Quintana, and Brooks Raley. The team is retooling to prioritize building a formidable roster for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
As the Mets adjust their focus, Scherzer recognizes the team’s need to make strategic moves based on contract situations and free agency. While the trade may have come as a surprise, Scherzer respected Cohen and Eppler’s transparent communication and accepted the trade to the Texas Rangers.
“I was like, ‘So the team is not going to be pursuing free agents this offseason or assemble a team that can compete for a World Series next year?’ He said, ‘No, we’re not going to be signing the upper-echelon guys. We’re going to be on the smaller deals within free agency. ‘24 is now looking to be more of a kind of transitory year’”, Scherzer clarified.
