The Texas Rangers sit outside the playoff picture with just under a week to go before the MLB trade deadline. With veteran pitchers Max Scherzer and Nathan Eovaldi both healthy and on expiring deals, now is the time for the Rangers to recoup the assets they spent to win the World Series last year. ESPN's Jesse Rogers spoke to executives around baseball to get a sense of where the Rangers could land on their star pitchers.
“Unfortunately, the deadline comes when it comes,” one scout told Rogers. “They shouldn't be fooled by winning a series against the White Sox this week. If they retool, they could be right back in the thick of things next year.”
While it is true that the Rangers are in a win-now window, that window will still be open next year. And, it will include a healthy Jacob DeGrom. The Rangers will be much better off if they deal both of their rental pieces at the deadline.
A homecoming for Max Scherzer
It's no secret that the Hall-of-Fame career of Max Scherzer is winding to a close. He will be 40 years old by the time deadline day rolls around and is rounding out his 17th big league season. A great destination for him to potentially close out his career is the St. Louis Cardinals. Scherzer is from St. Louis, went to the University of Missouri, and was drafted by the Cardinals out of high school in 2003. The reunion would certainly make for a great tear-jerking pre-game piece during the playoffs.
On the field, the Cardinals could use pitchers at the trade deadline. No one who has started a game for them this season has an ERA under 3.50 entering Thursday's action. Scherzer is rested after an injury kept him sidelined for most of the first half and has a history of rising to the playoff pressure.
The Cardinals would not have to trade much away for Scherzer. He is a free agent after the season and most of his salary is currently being paid by the Mets. The Cardinals will part with a pitching prospect as part of this move but considering the depth of pitching in their pipeline, they can afford this price.
Rangers receive: LHP Cooper Hjerpe (STL #7)
Cardinals receive: RHP Max Scherzer
Rangers send Nathan Eovaldi north
Nathan Eovaldi has been a fantastic postseason pitcher in his career. He is 9-3 with a 3.05 ERA in 17 appearances. The legend began in the World Series with the Red Sox in 2018 when he gave up one earned run in eight innings over three relief appearances. Ever since he has been a highly coveted playoff pitcher. The Red Sox are an interesting landing spot for him, but a National League contender is more likely.
The Milwaukee Brewers kicked off this season by trading their ace, Corbin Burnes, to the Baltimore Orioles. Now they are in first place in the NL Central and already adding pitching. Aaron Civale moved to Milwaukee from the Tampa Bay Rays well before the deadline, but another arm is still needed. With injuries to Joe Ross and Robert Gasser decimating their rotation, Eovaldi would come in and provide a steady, veteran arm to their team.
The deal also sends a pitching prospect back to the Rangers. Right-handed starter Carlos Rodriguez made his MLB debut back in June and has struggled at the MLB level. He is 0-3 with a 7.30 ERA in three starts this season. He can develop his MLB stuff with the Rangers at the end of this season and be an important part of their rotation by 2025. This would be a great pickup for the Rangers.
Rangers receive: RHP Carlos Rodriguez (MIL #6)
Brewers receive: RHP Nathan Eovaldi
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