The Washington Nationals have not had a good start to the 2021 MLB season. With a 9-12 record, they currently sit at the bottom of the NL East, 1.5 games back of the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies for first.
While there’s still a lot of baseball to play for the Nationals to turn things around, there’s the chance that they won’t. And, if they don’t, could the team wind up trading their star pitcher, Max Scherzer?
Scherzer has been with the Nationals organization since 2015. Since then, he’s won two of his three Cy Young Awards with them and was a part of their 2019 MLB World Series-winning roster. However, he’s also on the last year of his seven-year, $210 million contract. If the Nationals continue to be bad and Scherzer doesn’t want to go through a rebuild, could he get traded before the end of the season?
Bovada doesn’t think so, as they’re leaning towards Scherzer remaining in Washington at -190 odds. There’s obviously a bond between the player and team, plus there’s a lot of season for them to turn things around. However, if things remain the same, here’s a look at some of the teams that could end up trading for the three-time Cy Young Award winner.
MLB Odds: Where Will Max Scherzer Play After 2021 MLB Trade Deadline
Odds via Bovada as of Thursday, April 29
- Washington Nationals (-190)
- New York Yankees (+400)
- Los Angeles Angels (+700)
- Houston Astros (+950)
- Toronto Blue Jays (+950)
- Boston Red Sox (+1100)
- St. Louis Cardinals (+1200)
- San Francisco Giants (+1200)
Could Scherzer Be a Yankee After Trade Deadline?
At +400 odds, the New York Yankees are the team favored to land Scherzer if he is traded before the MLB trade deadline on July 30. The Yankees chasing one of baseball’s top names isn’t anything new, as star players have always ended up in New York in the past. Despite their stacked roster, though, they haven’t played as well as they would have this season. A slow start has the Yankees at 11-13, good for second-last in the AL East and 4.5 games out of first. However, they’re also 6-4 in their last 10 and look to be turning things around.
If the Yankees manage to land Scherzer, you’d have to think their World Series odds would see quite the boost. He’s also one of the best pitchers in the game and to see him in a rotation with guys like Gerrit Cole and Corey Kluber would probably scare a lot of MLB teams. The Yankees already have a 3.24 team ERA, which ranks fifth across the league.
Blue Jays in on Scherzer Hunt
After a successful showing last season, the Toronto Blue Jays are 11-12 and, once again, chasing a playoff spot. They recently put their ace Hyun-jin Ryu on the 10-day injured list and could look for more pitching help if he’s out for an extended amount of time. The Blue Jays would be hard-pressed to find someone better than Scherzer on the MLB trade market. Toronto also has several quality prospects that they could send back to the Nationals if both sides are interested.
Their odds of landing the Nationals pitcher are +950.
MLB Odds: Can Scherzer Take the Angels to the Next Step?
The Los Angeles Angels (+700) already have one of the best players in recent MLB history in the former of outfielder Mike Trout. However, they’ve only made the playoffs once in the 10 previous seasons with him on the roster. If they want to take the next step into being actual World Series contenders, the Angels could acquire Scherzer before the MLB trade deadline. They have the pieces to make it happen, so keep your eye on Los Angeles this season.
