- The New York Mets traded starter Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers for Luisangel Acuna.
- The three-time Cy Young winner has not been in his usual form this season. His numbers have been at their worst since 2011 with the Detroit Tigers.
- Lefty Jordan Montgomery is also on his way to Arlington. The St. Louis Cardinals sent Montgomery to the Rangers alongside reliever Chris Stratton.
The Texas Rangers are making big moves ahead of the MLB trade deadline on Tuesday. In the most notable move before the deadline thus far, the Rangers traded for starters Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery. Soon after the news broke, the Rangers’ World Series odds jumped from +1100 to +750 at Bovada.
Going into the MLB All-Star break, Texas had similar odds to win the World Series in 2023. However, they were in slightly better shape back then with +1000 odds to win an MLB title this year. The Rangers have been on a small slide, with just three wins in their previous ten outings.
In their latest series, the San Diego Padres swept the Rangers in three games at Petco Park. On Sunday, the Rangers were stymied by a terrific effort by Blake Snell through five innings. Snell didn’t allow a run and struck out batters in a 5-3 victory. The Rangers dropped to 60-46, but they still hold a one-game lead over the Houston Astros in the AL West.
Despite the Rangers being on the receiving end of a sweep, Texas’ World Series odds moved in the other direction. Their odds have improved as a result of the trade activity over the weekend. Bettors who jumped on the Rangers after the news broke have to be confident that Scherzer returns to form in Arlington.
It’s official – Max Scherzer ➡️ Texas. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/LzyP0Hm5Oh
— theScore (@theScore) July 30, 2023
Scherzer Not In Cy Young Form
For the first time since 2011, Scherzer is in danger of finishing with an ERA above 4.00. In 19 starts with the Mets this season, Scherzer has posted an ERA of 4.01 with a 1.19 WHIP and .240 OBA.
This is only one year after Scherzer finished with a career-low ERA of 2.29 and a 0.91 WHIP. Scherzer won a Cy Young in 2013, 2016, and 2017. He was certainly deserving of it last year, but Miami’s Sandy Alcantara edged him out for the award.
Scherzer has an ERA below 3.00 in six of his previous seven campaigns. He has looked great in spots, but consistency has plagued him. In his last start, Scherzer was impressive against the Washington Nationals. He allowed six hits and one earned run in seven innings. However, a start earlier, Scherzer was tagged for six hits and five earned runs in six innings versus the Boston Red Sox.
That is Scherzer’s season summed up in two games. Montgomery, not Scherzer, may end up being the more valuable player between these trades for the Rangers.
Montgomery Overshadowed by Scherzer Trade
Rangers’ fans have to be thrilled with Scherzer joining the club. Understandably so, but Montgomery has to be looked at extremely favorably, as well. After steadily improving over the last two years, the former New York Yankee is on pace for a career-high ERA in 2023.
In 21 starts with the Cardinals, Montgomery has recorded an ERA of 3.42, 1.25 WHIP, and .250 OBA. He’s been in great form as of late, with an ERA of 2.53 and a 1.08 WHIP in his previous seven starts. The Rangers should know what they are going to get out of Montgomery.
The @Rangers have reportedly agreed to acquire LHP Jordan Montgomery and RHP Chris Stratton from the Cardinals, according to https://t.co/Z3s2EpgF39‘s @feinsand. pic.twitter.com/P7qafJNNDF
— MLB (@MLB) July 30, 2023
Unlike Scherzer’s sporadic results this season, Montgomery has been one of the more consistent pitchers in Major League Baseball. Last season, consistency was Montgomery’s hallmark, too. He finished with an ERA of 3.48 and a 1.09 WHIP between the Yankees and Cardinals.
Montgomery and Scherzer are joining a rotation that has been one of the better units in baseball. Adding these two to the pitching staff provides the Rangers with a tremendous amount of depth. Overall, the starting pitching is sixth in the majors, with an ERA of 3.88 through 106 games.
Rangers Favored To Win AL West
The Astros entered the 2023 season with the best odds to win the 2023 World Series. In March, they had +600 odds to win the World Series before the first pitch was even thrown.
The Astros were the clear team to beat in the AL West and were well ahead of the Rangers at Bovada. Now, the Rangers are favored to win the division at -120, while the Astros are at -105.
Conversely, the Rangers had preseason odds of +5000 to win the World Series. Now, for the first time this season, the Rangers’ 2023 World Series odds have slid below +1000. The Rangers didn’t get to this point simply because of the trade for Scherzer and Montgomery.
Rather, it has been a total team effort from the Rangers. Marcus Sieman and Corey Seager are in full bloom after there was a period of criticism for the trade last year. Currently, Seager has the second-best odds of winning the AL MVP behind Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels.
If it wasn’t for Ohtani, Seager would be the guy. And, considering the unbelievable season Ohtani is having, it is an accomplishment to finish behind Ohtani in MVP voting. Seager is hitting .350 with an impressive OBP of .413. Additionally, he’s tacked on 15 home runs and notched 58 RBIs.
The Rangers don’t necessarily need Scherzer or Montgomery to be a contender. However, the additions will put the rest of the American League on notice now.
