Red Sox could strike if Nationals fall
Now this is a highly unlikely, absolute dream case scenario. We all know Max Scherzer as one of the game’s best, spending a near decade in the spotlight of MLB stardom. After bringing home a World Series in 2019, we can all be pretty confident in the fact that should he post similar numbers to last year, Washington will still be obliged to offer a sentimental contract (similar to Eovaldi’s case, minus of course the fact that we’re talking about Scherzer).
However, baseball is a business, and the path to the World Series in the National League seems closed to any team other than San Diego or Los Angeles for many years to come. No matter who the player is, there is still a chance that a team in this circumstance will not re-sign a seemingly declining 37-year-old pitcher on an expiring deal.
This would take a lot of scenarios falling perfectly into place for a move of this nature to happen though. First, the Red Sox would need to perform beyond what is expected of the team this season. They would need to prove that they are close to a World Series birth, a team one player away, which is something I do not foresee.
It would also take the Nationals performing well below expectations, leaving them little to no choice than to trade Scherzer and at least get something in return for him.
Finally, it would involve a highly uncharacteristic move from Chaim Bloom, taking on a large contract for a star player (resulting in a relatively high return as well for Washington). Crazier things have happened in baseball folks, however this should not be taken as anything more than a dream at this moment.
As a lifelong Red Sox fan, do not get me wrong when I say that I currently hate what is being offered as a starting rotation. It is littered with major injuries, inconsistent pitching, and too many ERAs in the fours. If the Red Sox want a chance to contend in October, a rotation upgrade is still beyond necessary.