We’re under 72 hours away from the MLB trade deadline, and the buzz around Nationals ace Max Scherzer is growing louder by the second. Washington is looking to complete a Scherzer deal sooner rather than later, but the Yankees and their fans were dealt a disheartening blow today: Jayson Stark reports that the right-hander would be unlikely to allow a trade to New York.
Scherzer has a full no-trade clause, meaning he can veto any trade doesn’t find to his liking. Apparently, the idea of uprooting his life to play for another underperforming team in another city hasn’t quite tickled his fancy. (He’s also uninterested in joining the Mets.) Scherzer is one of the few players who on his own could shift the landscape of the AL playoff race, but the odds of him doing so in a Yankee uniform appear slim. Other reports indicate he’s most likely to land somewhere out west, ostensibly on an NL West team, with the Giants, Dodgers, and Padres all jockeying for position.
Regardless, you can probably cross Scherzer off your trade deadline wishlist. Many other dominoes still stand to fall, ranging from Trevor Story to Joey Gallo to Starling Marte. But they all paled in comparison to one of the five best starters in baseball, one who doesn’t look likely to be coming to the Bronx any time soon.
