5 trade destinations for Max Scherzer should Rangers make starting pitcher available

Max Scherzer may be coming off a serious back injury and will be turning 40 in a few weeks, but it would be a shame if he was denied another postseason run in October this late into his career. He will be a free agent after this season, but the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers are going nowhere fast. They are a sub-.500 team playing in the worst division in baseball. Could they deal him?

Well, that really all depends on what the Rangers' front office wants to do. USA Today's Bob Nightengale says rival general managers expect the Rangers to maker Scherzer available at the trade deadline. They could sell high on a number of high-caliber players, including Scherzer. Is the juice worth the squeeze, though? I think for the right price and the right location, it could work out well for both parties. Plus Scherzer has a full no-trade clause, so the power is in his hands. Texas may not be able to get a ton for a soon-to-be 40-year-old on an expiring contract, but Scherzer is a two-time champion.

What I want to do today is to take a look at teams who are still very much in the postseason mix that could use a starting pitcher of Scherzer's magnitude down the stretch. Texas has a tremendous opportunity to reset as an organization with all the talent they could get in an unbelievable fire sale. Again, Scherzer won't fetch as much as other players on their team, but I think he can net something.

Here are five teams I think could be interested in Scherzer, starting with a bitter rival in the division.

5. Houston Astros

Wouldn't this be something? The Houston Astros are no longer playing atrocious baseball. I know, I know, I know. They play in the same freaking state as the Rangers, but they are desperate and the Seattle Mariners can get got in the division. Houston would obviously have to pay a premium for Scherzer because of the AL West of it all. However, the Astros always end up playing in the ALCS...

There were other teams I consider for this last spot, including the Milwaukee Brewers and the New York Yankees. I settled on Houston because I don't think we're done seeing baseball's most hated team being a thorn in everyone's side. Their New England Patriots' dynasty will end. In the meantime, trading for Scherzer in-division would make a lot of people absolutely furious, and I am here for that.

This is a shot in the dark, but until the Astros are eliminated from the playoffs, they're always a threat.

4. St. Louis Cardinals

Scherzer has played all over the place during his illustrious career. One team that he has not suited up for year would be the team he probably grew up rooting for in the St. Louis Cardinals. Scherzer grew up right outside of St. Louis and played his college baseball at Missouri. With the Cardinals having a much better year than last, it might be fun to see Scherzer pitch for a playoff-caliber St. Louis squad.

While I think the Cardinals have a better shot of making the postseason than say the Houston Astros, I am afraid that their low ceiling will only get them as far as the NLDS if they are lucky. Being in the opposite league will not make trading Scherzer as punitive for the Rangers. Then again, trading Scherzer means they are punting on the season. St. Louis does tend to elevate in the postseason.

It would be a cool sort of homecoming for Scherzer, but I think there are better fits than St. Louis.

3. Atlanta Braves

This is my team. I am not in favor of it, mostly because I can't stand Scherzer from his days pitching for the Washington Nationals and briefly with the New York Mets. However, the Atlanta Braves need a fifth starter in the rotation, one that would elevate the entire staff. Adding Scherzer could be what it takes for the Braves to win their second World Series title in four years. It would make him more likable.

Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos has made moves with the Rangers in recent years, so keep that in mind. What is important to understand is Atlanta's championship window is wide open, and the Braves don't need to deplete their less-than-stellar farm system for what will surely be a one-year rental in Scherzer. They may love 40-year-old pitchers, but Anthopoulos despises being duped.

Scherzer may slot in nicely into the Atlanta rotation, but I'm not sure the juice is worth the squeeze.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

You know what would make baseball fans angry? Texas trading Scherzer to the Los Angeles Dodgers. While the Dodgers spend more money than God, they only have one Mickey Mouse championship resting on their mantle since the dawn of the internet. They are more addicted to winning division titles than even my beloved Braves, which is saying something. Scherzer already pitched over there.

Given that Scherzer helped Washington and Texas win their first World Series championships in franchise history, he could be the missing piece to the rotation to get the Boys in Blue over the top for the first time since 2020. Right now, the Dodgers are probably the best bet to beat the Philadelphia Phillies to win the National League pennant. We can only hope Scherzer doesn't go to Philadelphia...

Scherzer probably already knows most of the guys on the team, since he played for them during the 2021 season, so that'd be a seamless transition.

1. Cleveland Guardians

He has done it before, so he could do it again, right? Well, the Cleveland Guardians have won a World Series before, but that was back in 1948 under a different moniker. They have the longest active championship drought in baseball, as all other teams who haven't won one are of the expansion vareity. Cleveland has one of the best teams in the American League, so why not make it happen?

As with Houston, Texas would be trading within the same league to deal Scherzer to Cleveland. That may hurt the Rangers' haul in some conceivable fashion. Then again, he is a soon-to-be 40-year-old and will be hitting free agency this offseason. In all honesty, if Scherzer was the missing piece that took Cleveland over the top, he should retire after the season on top, because it cannot be topped!

Scherzer winning in Cleveland could feel as special as winning in Texas, maybe even in Washington?