After earlier reports had him heading to San Diego, Max Scherzer is now slated to join Los Angeles along with All-Star shortstop Trea Turner.
The trade deadline isn't until Friday afternoon, but it's hard to imagine a more significant deal going down than this.
After earlier reports had him heading to San Diego, Nationals ace Max Scherzer is reportedly being traded to the Dodgers. He won't be going alone, as All-Star shortstop Trea Turner will head to Los Angeles as well, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Washington will receive four minor leaguers in return, a group headlined by catcher Keibert Ruiz and right-handed pitcher Josiah Gray. The other two players are right-handed pitcher Gerardo Carrillo and outfielder Donovan Casey, according to Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post.
Scherzer, 37, was the top pitcher available on the trade market before Friday's deadline. He is an eight-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young winner, tallying 183 career wins and a 3.19 career ERA over his 14-year career. This season, Scherzer is 8–4 with a 2.76 ERA and 147 strikeouts in 111 innings. He will be a free agent this offseason.
Turner, 28, made his first career All-Star team this season and is batting .322/.369/.521 with 18 home runs and 21 stolen bases in 96 games. He led the majors in hits last season and will not hit free agency until after the 2022 season.
Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager, a two-time All-Star, has been out since May with a fractured hand but is due to return soon. The 2020 World Series MVP has played shortstop almost exclusively during his career and is set to become a free agent after this season. Turner has played shortstop exclusively since 2017, but also saw time at second base and center field earlier in his career. He's expected to play second base when Seager returns, per Heyman.
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