Could the Yankees Trade For Max Scherzer?

Would the New York Yankees attempt to trade for Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer if the starter was available before the MLB Trade Deadline?

Remember when Max Scherzer struck out 14 at Yankee Stadium last month?

Now, imagine Scherzer spinning a gem in the Bronx while donning pinstripes.

With the Nationals in fourth place in the loaded National League East, there's a chance Washington could trade away their ace this summer. After all, Scherzer is set to hit free agency in the winter.

If the Nationals aren't going to make it to the postseason, they could try to recoup some value before Scherzer tests the open market. 

That in mind, are the Yankees a possible suitor for Scherzer? Boston Sports Journal’s Sean McAdam reports that both the Yankees and Red Sox are potential trade destinations for the three-time Cy Young Award winner if he becomes available.

New York was also listed by Will Laws of Sports Illustrated as one of the five best trade fits for Scherzer.

Here's more from Laws from his piece on Friday:

The Yankees have the need, rich coffers and a hunger to end a 12-year World Series drought.

Gerrit Cole has been everything the Yankees could have expected since they acquired him before last season, and pairing him with Scherzer would give the Bombers a terrifying one-two postseason punch. New York may need that sort of stability at the top. Corey Kluber’s shoulder issues resurfaced in the first start after his no-hitter and Jameson Taillon has completely revamped his approach after a year off with poor results (5.10 ERA, 47.2 innings in 10 starts). Domingo German has feasted in four starts against losing teams (1.03 ERA) but hasn’t held up against winning teams (5.34 ERA in six starts), raising doubts about his postseason chops. Jordan Montgomery has sneakily been more formidable than in the past, but it’s hard to imagine the Yankees brass entrusting the lefty soft-tosser with a playoff start.

Pretty much every baseball player would relish the chance of putting on the pinstripes and winning a World Series for the sport’s most storied franchise. Scherzer wouldn't veto a trade for a shot at that ... would he?

Even if Kluber is throwing again after his shoulder injury, he's still expected to miss eight weeks, if not more. Coming off two seasons cut short from injuries before 2021, there's simply no guarantee that the right-hander can pitch every fifth or sixth day for the rest of the season (and potentially into October).

As much as it seems like the Nationals are on the outside looking in when it comes to postseason contention, the Yankees are also a fourth-place team entering play on Sunday. A trade like this would certainly provide a boost to the rotation when you can never have too much pitching if you want to make a deep postseason run.

The question is, if Washington makes the ace available, would the Yankees be willing to agree to a high asking price? With how much the offense has struggled this year, if New York is buying leading up until the Trade Deadline, their prospects and resources would arguably be better served going toward position players. 

MORE:

• Chris Gittens Earns Big-League Opportunity As Yankees Look For 'Spark'
• Yankees' Corey Kluber Takes First Big Step in Road to Recovery
• Michael King Throws First Immaculate Inning in History of Yankees-Red Sox Rivalry

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