5 takeaways from the Scherzer trade

No offense to Lucas Giolito and Kiké Hernández, but the first big trade of the 2023 Deadline, the big one you’ve been waiting for, has finally happened. The Texas Rangers -- a first-place team looking to make the postseason for the first time since 2016 -- traded for three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer, sending the New York Mets Minor League infielder Luisangel Acuña, the MLB Pipeline No. 44 overall prospect (who happens to be Ronald’s younger brother). New York is also set to send a bunch of money to Texas as part of the deal (more on that below).

Officially announced on Sunday, it's a mammoth trade that changes the direction of both franchises, both this year and in the future. It’s exactly the sort of trade we all get excited about the Deadline for in the first place.

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Here are five takeaways from the Saturday night trade as we await other dominoes to fall in advance of Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline:

1. The 2023 Mets didn’t live up to the hype, but this is exactly the sort of trade every Mets fan should cheer
Look, Mets fans will presumably not look back fondly on the 2023 season. One of the most expensive and hyped rosters in recent baseball memory not only isn’t going to make the playoffs (a year after a 101-win season), it’s shipping out some big names (first David Robertson, now Scherzer).

But if Mets fans can let go of the disappointment of this season, there’s a lot to like about this trade. Acuña is the sort of prospect teams are notoriously hesitant about getting rid of at the Deadline, a return that’s better than anyone could have reasonably expected. The Mets’ willingness to pay $35 million of Scherzer’s contract was obviously a big factor in getting a talent of this caliber, and Exhibit A of an owner who understands that talent -- and not payroll alone -- is what ultimately wins.

The Mets went for it in 2023. It didn’t work out. That they pivoted rather than digging their feet in -- and got a Top 50 prospect for their troubles -- bodes extremely well for the Mets moving forward.

2. The Rangers are hearing the Astros’ footsteps
The Rangers are having their best season in nearly a decade, something that’s particularly impressive considering Jacob deGrom has had nearly nothing to do with it. But as great of a story as the Rangers have been, and as joyous as this season has been so far, they’re still only one game ahead of their hated in-state rivals from Houston, despite the Astros mostly spinning their wheels up to this point.

The injury bug has bitten the Rangers recently, and the team is in danger of giving up a lead they’ve comfortably held for months. What better way to change the momentum -- and the vibes -- than bringing in a tough-as-nails three-time Cy Young winner like Scherzer? The Rangers want this division, and this trade showed just how badly.

3. Max Scherzer gets a chance to be a postseason hero again
Here’s a fun stat: Of the starters currently in the Rangers' rotation, Scherzer actually has the fourth-best ERA+ for 2023, behind Nathan Eovaldi, Dane Dunning and Jon Gray. (He’s barely ahead of Andrew Heaney, too.) But of course you don’t bring in Scherzer just for random games in Oakland in early August. You bring him in for the postseason, for those moments when Scherzer is staring down some poor scared fool in the batter’s box in mid-October. Scherzer’s reputation as a postseason lifesaver is well-earned: He was fantastic all the way back for the Tigers in the early 2010s, let alone what he did for the Nationals in the 2019 World Series.

But one place he wasn’t great in October was Queens: He gave up seven runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Padres in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series last year, putting the Mets in a hole they’d never dig out of. That also happens to be Scherzer’s last postseason start. The Rangers brought him to be the October ace we’ve all seen for a decade-and-a-half now. But then again, the Mets did that, too.

4. It’s not just about 2023 for the Rangers
With Scherzer reportedly opting in for the 2024 season, he assured that this isn’t just a rental for the Rangers: He’ll be a mainstay of their rotation next year as well. And if the Rangers make the postseason next year, Scherzer may well be joined by his 2022 Mets rotation mate Jacob deGrom, who is expected to return from UCL surgery around August of next year. You know that 1-2 punch Mets fans were all excited about last year? The Rangers might get to recreate it next year around this time

5. Good starting pitchers are costing a lot at the Deadline
Getting the Mets to pay a large chunk of Scherzer’s salary is helpful, but make no mistake: Having to give up a Top 50 prospect for a guy who currently has an ERA over 4.00 is pricey. With as few starting pitchers on the market as there are, this is clearly shaping up to be a seller’s market. If you want Justin Verlander -- who has been fantastic for the last month, by the way -- you’re going to have to pay through the nose. If you’re the Cardinals, who have Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty, among the best non-Verlander starters left on the market, it sure looks like the market has been set in your favor. And if you’re risk-averse but need starting pitching like the Orioles ... you’re about to find out how just how much you’re willing to stomach. Upgrading your rotation at the Deadline is always expensive. This trade just made it more so.