Max Scherzer believes he still has something left in the tank.
The future Hall of Famer and three-time Cy Young winner threw a bullpen session last week with several team scouts in attendance, including representatives from the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, and Philadelphia Phillies, according to ESPN.com.
Scherzer was limited to just nine starts with the Texas Rangers last season, dealing with back surgery recovery, arm fatigue, nerve issues, and a left hamstring strain. He went 2-4 with 40 strikeouts and 10 walks in 43 1/3 innings, posting a 3.95 ERA and 101 ERA+.
With Scherzer still looking for a home in 2025, one MLB insider predicts the eight-time All-Star pitcher will land with a National League playoff contender.
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Insider believes Max Scherzer will land with this NL East team
ESPN’s MLB insider David Schoenfield anticipates that Scherzer will sign with the Braves, who were swept out of the Wild Card round by the San Diego Padres in 2024.
“The Braves are an interesting possibility; they struck gold with the Chris Sale trade last year and could use another starter as they wait for Spencer Strider to get healthy,” noted Schoenfield.
Sale rebounded after several injury-plagued seasons with the Boston Red Sox, winning his first Cy Young Award after going 18-3, with an MLB-leading 2.38 ERA and 174 ERA+, and a National League-leading 225 strikeouts. Strider, meanwhile, is recovering from Tommy John surgery and should return in the early part of the 2025 season.
The Braves also lost Charlie Morton in free agency, so a Scherzer signing makes sense to replace those 165 innings. Adding Scherzer would instantly upgrade the back end of the Braves’ rotation, if he stays healthy.
“The Braves might not want to go over the tax threshold, but their current rotation features the often-injured Sale, a converted reliever in Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder coming off a 6.52 ERA,” added Schoenfield.
Over 17 MLB seasons, Scherzer has appeared in 466 games (457 starts), compiling a 216-112 record, 3.16 ERA, 133 ERA+, and 3,407 strikeouts in 2,878 innings, ranking 11th all-time.
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