Following the Mets’ trade of closer David Robertson Thursday night, the fire sale has continued as the blue and orange has decided to deal one of their aces.
According to Andy Martino of SNY, Max Scherzer and cash will be heading to the Texas Rangers in exchange for the 44th-ranked prospect in baseball: Luisangel Acuña.
A look back on Scherzer’s Time With the Mets
After a successful 2021 season that included a third-place Cy-Young finish, Scherzer hit free agency and signed with the Mets on a three-year $130 million contract to form a dynamic pitching duo with Jacob DeGrom.
Scherzer was fantastic for the Amazins, pitching 145.1 innings across 23 starts to a 2.29 ERA and a 0.908 WHIP.
Despite the regular season success, Scherzer struggled in his only playoff start. In game one of the Wild Card round, Scherzer pitched just 4.2 innings while allowing seven hits and seven runs. That would be Scherzer’s only postseason appearance in 2022 as the Mets fell to the Padres in three games.
Scherzer has looked like a different player in 2023. The three-time Cy Young Award winner has struggled, pitching 107.2 innings across 19 starts to a 4.01 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP.
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Who is Luisangel Acuña ?
Luisangel Acuña signed with the Rangers in 2018 and made his professional debut in 2019, reporting to the DSL Rangers. In 51 games, Acuña slashed .342/.438/.455 with two home runs and 29 RBIs.
After the Covid-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 minor league season, Acuña got promoted to Single-A to begin 2021, where in 111 games, he slashed .266/.345/.404 with 12 home runs and 74 RBIs.
Acuña continued to advance through the minor leagues as, in 2022, he got promoted to High-A and then to Double-A. Across the two leagues, the Venezuelan native appeared in 91 games, slashing .277/.369/.426 with 11 home runs and 47 RBIs.
The 22-year-old has spent all of 2023 in Double-A, where he has torn it up, appearing in 84 games slashing .315/.377/.453 with seven home runs and 51 RBIs while stealing an absurd 42 bases.
Acuña has solid tools across the board, and while he may not be touted to have the same potential as his older brother, he could still turn into an all-star caliber player if he continues to develop.
Time will tell whether Acuña turns out or not. However, the organization changing its approach to try and create a more substantial flow of talent should be something that excites fans of the blue and orange.