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3 last-minute Max Scherzer trades partners Nationals need to get on the phone with right now

By Josh Hill

Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals. (Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)
Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals. (Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports) /
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SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 27: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres and Trent Grisham #2 celebrate after the Padres beat the Oakland Athletics 7-4 at Petco Park on July 27, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 27: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres and Trent Grisham #2 celebrate after the Padres beat the Oakland Athletics 7-4 at Petco Park on July 27, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

1. San Diego Padres

While the Giants have the better farm system, the Padres might be more desperate to make a move that pays the pretty penny Washington wants for Scherzer.

San Diego is already all-in on winning a World Series with its young core of Fernado Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and others. They’re not so much drinking from the cup of trade temptation as they are guzzling it and dunking it bank into the pond for more. Already the Padres have traded their way into Yu Darvish and Blake Snell, and have already made a splashy deadline trade by acquiring Pirates star Adam Frazier. The Padres were also linked to Joey Gallo before he was dealt to the Yankees and have Craig Kimbrel on their radar as well.

So why stop now?

The Padres got to this point by way of homegrown talent blossoming for them. They’ve already arrived, this is the fruition that teams hope for when they have a hot farm system, so San Diego has the luxury of being able to mortgage its future since the future is already here. Guys like CJ Abrams, Luis Campusano, and even Reggie Lawson could be had depending on how desperate the Padres are to not come in third behind the Dodgers and Giants in the race out West.

Even though the Padres are all-in and more, they’re clearly not a stupid franchise. They won’t be parting with top-tier farm talent without assurances that Scherzer will re-sign. But the temptation of entering the postseason with a rotation of Scherzer, Darvish, and Snell might be too good to pass up.

Who Nationals Could Get: Luis Campusano would be huge, but Eric Hosmer could lowkey be a massive part of the trade package.

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