MLB Rumors: Dark horse suitor for the best 4 pitchers on the market
By Scott Rogust
Some big-name starting pitchers could be on the move by the Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline. Here are dark horse teams that could potentially land the top four starting pitchers on the market.
The 2023 MLB season is about to reach July, which means that we are on the one-month countdown until the Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline. With that, teams will have to decide whether their best course of action is to buy at the deadline to make a playoff push or determine that the postseason is unattainable and sell for assets (prospects). Given how many teams are in playoff position, it could make for an interesting and hectic month for the majors.
One position that will be heavily sought after will undoubtedly be starting pitching, given the star power that could be available. In regards to names, the top four that stick out are Max Scherzer of the New York Mets, Aaron Nola of the Philadelphia Phillies, Lucas Giolito of the Chicago White Sox, and Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Guardians. Now, the world will wait to see how the next month will go and see if these names get moved, or if they stay put for the remainder of the season.
We know teams that will be the favorites to land some of these pitchers. Let’s take a look at a dark horse suitor for each trade candidate. Remember, this is purely speculation.
MLB Rumors, Max Scherzer trade dark horse suitor – Los Angeles Angels
Remember when the baseball world anticipated the possibility of the Los Angeles Angels trading Shohei Ohtani? Well, the Angels may as well be called “Buzzkills,” because they’re actually having a good season and are in a position to make the postseason. Given that Ohtani is set to become a free agent, the Angels should be motivated to bring in help for a playoff berth, and show that they’re willing to build a winner to entice him to stay long-term.
One obvious area of need for the Angels is starting pitching, an area that has been a struggle for them in recent years. One name that could be an option for the Angels is Max Scherzer.
The New York Mets had the highest payroll in all of baseball entering the 2023 season to help them make a deeper run in the playoffs as compared to the year prior. They brought in Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, Jose Quintana, and David Robertson. Overall, the team has been a disappointment in 2023, currently sitting in fourth place in the NL East with a 36-44 record as of Thursday (June 29).
Scherzer has had some rough starts this year, but he is still putting up relatively good numbers. Through 13 starts, Scherzer holds a 3.95 ERA, a 1.175 WHIP, and a 7-2 win-loss record, while recording 76 strikeouts and 16 walks in 70.2 innings.
It’s important to note that Scherzer would have to waive his no-trade clause, which he reportedly said he would do for the right situation, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. If the Angels keep up this strong start to the season, maybe Scherzer could deem the team the “right situation?”