With the Washington Nationals below .500 and out of the postseason picture, there is growing expectations they will become sellers at the MLB trade deadline as Max Scherzer and Trea Turner continue to draw interest from other clubs.
Scherzer seemingly being available makes him the best starting pitcher on the market, and that could bode well for the Nationals despite the future Hall of Famer being in the final year of his contract.
There is the hurdle of Scherzer holding a no-trade clause by way of becoming a player with 10-and-5 rights, but reports indicate he is open to being moved — particularly if it is to a team on the West Coast.
According to Jayson Stark of The Athletic, the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants are among the teams involved in Scherzer trade talks to some degree:
These are the 8 teams known to be in on Max Scherzer, via multiple sources:
Dodgers
Giants
Padres
Red Sox
Rays
Blue Jays
Astros
MetsAlso heard Yankees checked in & were told he was unlikely to OK a trade there. Mets could be a long shot for the same reason.
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) July 27, 2021
The three National League West teams are also believed to be among the list of teams Scherzer would prefer being traded to, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network:
Scherzer’s preferred list of teams includes the Dodgers, Giants and Padres (and some others) but is said more about the ability to win this year and going forward (he’d like a team he could stay with) than geography. A bidding war betw the 3 NL West leaders is certainly possible.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 27, 2021
The Dodgers currently hold the second-highest odds to complete a Scherzer trade before the 1 p.m. PT deadline on Friday. Despite the New York Mets not believed to be a likely landing spot, they have been given the best odds to acquire the right-hander.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman historically has not been one to get involved in a bidding war, which could impact the club’s pursuit of Scherzer. Though, Friedman has openly said the Dodgers are in search of pitching at this season’s trade deadline.
Ruiz in Scherzer trade package?
It’s unclear what the Nationals may covet in return for Scherzer, but for the Dodgers it may entail having to part with Keibert Ruiz.
The switch-hitting catcher has routinely been the subject of trade interest due in part to the Dodgers not having a clear spot on their roster for him. Nevertheless, L.A. reportedly is against including Ruiz in a trade for a rental player.
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