Max Scherzer Could Waive No-Trade Clause if Mets’ Struggles Continue, per Report

The 38-year-old is on track for his worst ERA since 2009.

As the Mets continue to sputter as one of the unexpected stories of the baseball season, a report has emerged suggesting that star pitcher Max Scherzer could waive his no-trade clause if the team were interested in moving him at the trade deadline.

Per a story written by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, Scherzer could be one of several players who could be moved in a hard sell-off by the team at the deadline. However, he’d have to waive the no-trade clause in his contract, a move that isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

“Start with Scherzer – no stranger to deadline deals,” DiComo wrote. “Regarding Scherzer’s no-trade clause, he’s 38 and looking to win another title. Several industry sources have suggested he would waive it for the right situation. Regarding the size of Scherzer’s contract, the Mets could use Cohen’s riches to pay it down in hopes of landing a premium prospect in return.”

DiComo later clarified that Scherzer has not definitively said that he will waive his no-trade clause if New York continues to struggle and that his preference is to remain with the Mets and win.

After a dominant career, Scherzer has perhaps shown signs of deterioration this season. Overall, he boasts a 7–2 record, but his 3.95 ERA is his worst mark since 2020, and would be the highest mark since his second year in the league with the Diamondbacks in ’09.

However, Scherzer hasn’t lost in each of his last eight starts and has posted a 3.19 ERA over that timeframe, DiComo notes.

With New York sitting at 36–43 on the season and a distant fourth place in the NL East, the team will have to get things back on track soon or else there will certainly be a sell-off by July 31.