Max Scherzer's impending trade to the Texas Rangers leaves a huge door open for the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Max Scherzer is on his way from Queens to Arlington in a trade between the New York Mets and Texas Rangers. Multiple hurdles need to be cleared to make the deal official, including Scherzer's ultimate approval (no-trade clause) and a physical. But as of now, it appears the trade will get done based on the latest MLB rumors.
Scherzer being moved is a massive domino in the MLB trade landscape that opens up potential floodgates on deals around the league.
One such deal involves Scherzer's Met teammate, Justin Verlander. Verlander was already rumored to be traded, and the Mets getting rid of one of their ace-level pitchers likely means the other is on the way out too, as New York has committed to a sale.
Justin Verlander to the Astros or Dodgers feels wide open as a possibility after Max Scherzer trade
As Mark Feinsand points out, the Rangers — who were once heavily interested in Verlander — now almost certainly pull off the board for Justin Verlander. Scherzer becomes Texas's ace to backfill the injured Jacob deGrom.
So, the Astros and Dodgers might step up. Or, as Feinsand reminds us, any number of teams that might want to bid for Verlander's services.
The timing of the Scherzer trade is interesting as well. While it was projected that the majority of trades wouldn't go down until Monday, such a big name coming off the board on Saturday surely adds pressure to those looking to make upgrades to up their bids.
That's true leaguewide, but it may be even more true for teams looking to get Verlander. The Mets have made it clear they're selling, so there's no reason to wait. Teams will have to get their offers in — and they best be big — now or risk missing out.
