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Red Sox Trade Rumors: Max Scherzer, Jose Berrios Eyed by Boston Ahead of Deadline
July 29, 2021
The Boston Red Sox are reportedly looking at both Max Scherzer and Jose Berrios as they try to upgrade their starting pitching before Friday's trade deadline, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
Scherzer has a no-trade clause, but Heyman reported the pitcher "would consider" going to the Red Sox.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com previously reported Scherzer "strongly prefers the West Coast" with the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres all reportedly interested. It appears the first-place Red Sox could also be an option for the talented starter.
The National League All-Star Game starter would certainly be a difference-maker in any location after producing a 2.83 ERA and 0.886 WHIP in 18 starts with the Washington Nationals. He also has 142 strikeouts in 105 innings, putting him on pace to top 12 strikeouts per nine innings for thee fifth year in a row.
With a resume that includes three Cy Young awards, eight All-Star selections and a World Series title, Scherzer could be a big-time addition for Boston for the rest of this season.
Finding an upgrade in the back of the rotation could be valuable for the Red Sox with Garrett Richards (5.15 ERA) and Eduardo Rodriguez (5.23 ERA) failing to find much consistency in 2021. The pitching has been enough to help Boston (63-40) enter Thursday with a 2.5-game lead in the AL East, but the team would likely need more to win a World Series.
Berrios could be another option with a 3.48 ERA in 20 starts with the Minnesota Twins. The 27-year-old has two All-Star selections and some quality postseason experience, allowing just two combined earned runs across nine innings in a pair of starts against the New York Yankees and Houston Astros.
One challenge could be finding a reasonable trade for the pitcher. According to Dan Hayes of The Athletic, the New York Mets were also interested in Berrios but had "sticker shock" at the asking price of two top-100 prospects or one top prospect and one young major leaguer.
Berrios is at least under contract through the 2022 season while Scherzer will be a free agent this winter.