The New York Mets officially traded Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers on Sunday. The move ends Scherzer’s tenure in the Big Apple less than two years after the team offered him a hefty three-year, $130 million contract. In 42 starts for the Mets, Scherzer finished with a 20-9 record, 3.02 ERA, 1.028 WHIP, and a 5.44 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Last season, the Mets appeared poised for sustained success after finishing with a 101-61 record and reaching the NLDS. But this year has been one disappointment after another. With the playoffs nowhere in sight, the Mets have started shipping off their players in an effort to rebuild.
Now, Scherzer heads to Texas, where the Rangers are in the midst of their own surprising season, sitting atop the AL West. While Scherzer will have a chance to win another World Series ring, he’s also about to accomplish something no other player has done before: He’ll have three different teams paying him.
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Scherzer’s contract pays him $43.3 million per year. He’s made $28.3 million of that already this season. As part of the deal, the Mets are paying a larger portion of Scherzer’s salary, even though he’s no longer on the team.
The Mets will give Scherzer $36.6 million this season. The Rangers will pay the remaining $6.7 million of his salary. And despite not playing for the Washington Nationals since 2021, Scherzer also made $15 million from the Nationals this season.
Before the 2015 season, Scherzer signed a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Nationals. That deal included $15 million in annual payments every year from 2022 to 2028. And wouldn’t you know it? Scherzer gets his paychecks on July 1, the same day Bobby Bonilla receives his.
At least Scherzer had a solid run with the Nationals. Over 6.5 seasons, he won two Cy Young Awards, made six All-Star teams, and won the 2019 World Series. With the Mets, Scherzer had just one playoff appearance, giving up 7 runs (including four home runs) in 4 2/3 innings in a loss.
Scherzer also opted into his deal for next season, so he’ll make another $43.3 million. And the Mets will still be paying him — The Athletic noted the Rangers will pay $16.5 million of the 2024 salary, leaving the Mets on the hook for the remaining $26.8 million.
If we’re getting technical, this means the Mets are paying Scherzer $35.1 million to go play for another team. That’s truly an impressive accomplishment.