The Concerning Truth About the Texas Rangers' Acquisition of Max Scherzer

The Texas Rangers acquired longtime ace Max Scherzer on Saturday from the New York Mets, who is on track for his worst season in more than a decade.

The Texas Rangers shook up the baseball world on Saturday night, acquiring longtime ace Max Scherzer in a blockbuster deal with the New York Mets.

The move is meant to announce the Rangers signaled interest in getting back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 - and in winning the first World Series in franchise history.

But, the move doesn't come without risk as the 39-year-old Scherzer has dealt with neck and oblique injuries over the past few years, and is on track for his worst season in more than a decade.

Per ESPN Stats & Info:

Max Scherzer is heading for the Lone Star State in a deal sending him from the Mets to the Rangers. 

Scherzer currently has a 4.01 ERA in 19 starts this season. That's on pace to be his worst in a season since 2011, when he had a 4.43 ERA in 33 starts for the Tigers.

Max Scherzer is heading for the Lone Star State in a deal sending him from the Mets to the Rangers.

Scherzer currently has a 4.01 ERA in 19 starts this season. That's on pace to be his worst in a season since 2011, when he had a 4.43 ERA in 33 starts for the Tigers. pic.twitter.com/olk9dM6kVq

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 30, 2023

Now, the Rangers don't need him to be the ace that he was, but they do need real productivity out of him in the wake of a season-ending injury to Jacob deGrom.

He'll pair with Jon Gray, Martin Perez, Andrew Heaney, Dane Dunning and Nathan Eovaldi as options for manager Bruce Bochy in the starting rotation.

Over his career, Scherzer is one of the best pitchers of his generation. He's 210-106 with a 3.15 ERA lifetime. He's an eight-time All-Star and a three-time Cy Young winner who also has won a World Series in 2019 with the Nationals.

He's 9-4 this season.

The Rangers lead the American League West by 1.0 game over the Houston Astros.

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