Scherzer returns to Citi Field, talks trade from Mets

NEW YORK -- Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer returned to Citi Field for the first time since the Mets traded him to Texas in late July, and he had nothing but good things to say about his year-plus in New York.

On July 30, the Mets finalized a trade of the three-time Cy Young winner to the Rangers in exchange for infield prospect Luisangel Acuña, striking a significant deal in what became a Trade Deadline sell-off for the Mets.

To complete the deal, Scherzer, 39, waived his full no-trade clause -- a decision he made after talking to the front office, including owner Steve Cohen and general manager Billy Eppler. They had a straightforward discussion with Scherzer on July 29, a day after he made his last start for the Mets against the Nationals. Cohen and Eppler told Scherzer they were looking to replenish the farm system and win in 2025. Scherzer’s reaction? It’s the business of baseball.

“I appreciate Billy and Steve’s honesty in this. I understand the business of the game,” Scherzer said. “People upstairs have to make really tough decisions. At the end of the day, they are trying to win a World Series as well. Sometimes, the difference between ownership and a player, especially where I’m at in my career, where my age is at -- I don’t have time to wait around.

“What they are doing with this organization, they have the right thought process behind it, and Steve is a great owner about trying to make this a winner in New York. I’m happy to join [the Mets] and contribute to it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to be here for the great moments of it, but they are doing the right thing to be able to build a championship ballclub in the future. Those decisions had to be made. When I had the conversations with them, they allowed me to make an honest decision as well.”

Before the 2022 season, Scherzer signed a record three-year, $130 million contract -- which included an opt-out after the second season -- with the Mets in hopes of winning his second career title. The formula seemed to work that summer, as the Mets won 101 games while Scherzer went 11-5 with a 2.29 ERA. But the team lost the NL Wild Card Series in three games to the Padres. Scherzer was hit hard in his only appearance of the series, allowing seven runs in 4 2/3 innings in Game 1.

After the season, the Mets added Justin Verlander to the rotation with an eye on getting a few steps further in the playoffs, but their strategy did not bear the expected fruit. Scherzer went 20-9 with a 3.02 ERA during his time with New York.

Scherzer said it was a combination of things as to why the Mets found themselves out of the playoff race in 2023.

“When we didn’t pitch, we hit. If we didn’t hit, we didn’t pitch. If we did both, then the bullpen didn’t do the job,” Scherzer said. “It was a combination of everything not going right. Everybody can probably look at themselves in the mirror and say they could have done better. Myself, specifically, I wish I could have pitched better. I don’t like to point fingers unless I’m pointing fingers at myself.”

Scherzer is playing for a Rangers team that entered Monday one game behind the Mariners in the American League West race. In their past 10 games, however, the Rangers only won once.

“I got traded over, and I never saw a team higher than high. We won eight games. We were really beating people apart and all of sudden, we went through an eight-game losing streak. We were getting beaten apart,” Scherzer said. “You are never as high as you think you are. You are never as low as you think you are. We are now at a point where we’ll see who we really are. Now we need to go out for the next 10 games and really play good baseball. We are in a division race and that’s fun.”