Max Scherzer: Discussing No-Trade Clause 'Pointless' Until Mets Decide to Sell

Max Scherzer isn't interested in discussing the no-trade clause on his contract with the New York Mets.

Two days after MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reported that sources said Scherzer would waive the clause for the "right situation," Scherzer told reporters that the discussion was "pointless" until manager Steve Cohen decides the Mets will be sellers at the deadline.

"I'll comment when Steve says sell. Until then it's pointless. It's just clickbait now," Scherzer said after the Mets' 3-2 Thursday loss to the visiting Milwaukee Brewers. "When Steve says sell, he drives this. So, it's pointless for me to talk about anything in the contract. I'm here to show up to win. That's all I'm here to do."

The Mets have fallen to 36-45 on the season. They are 17.5 games behind the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves and just 3.5 ahead of the last-place Washington Nationals.

In 13 starts, Scherzer has a 7-2 record with an ERA of 3.87, a WHIP of 1.20 and an 85:18 K:BB ratio through 76.2 innings pitched.

Cohen discussed the possibility of the Mets becoming sellers at the deadline Wednesday.

"Obviously, we came in with higher hopes than making the last wild card... but that's where we are," Cohen said.

Cohen said there would be "decisions to make" if the team doesn't improve before August 1.

"That's not my preferred end result, but I'm preparing all contingencies," Cohen said. "We'll see where it goes. It's on the players, right? They're veterans. They've been there before. These are players who have done it, and we'll see if they can get their act together and string together some wins. I can't pitch and I can't hit. That's the way it goes."

New York has the most expensive 26-man payroll in the league. Part of that is due to Scherzer's contract. He had the highest annual salary of any MLB pitcher until the Mets beat out their own record by handing fellow former Cy Young winner Justin Verlander a two-year, $86.6 million deal this spring.

Scherzer is on the final guaranteed year of a three-year, $130 million deal he signed with the Mets in 2022. He has a player option to stay in 2024, and a full no-trade clause.

When asked about his plans regarding the upcoming player option in February, Scherzer said his decision over whether or not to stay in New York would be based on the team's competitiveness.

"You have to understand the context of why I negotiated that in... I wanted to pursue a championship in that third year," Scherzer said in February, per SNY's Andy Martino. "And that's where an opt-out, to me, made sense. But obviously, Steve has demonstrated that we're going to be trying to win the World Series. We're gonna do whatever it takes to win."

The Mets currently sit nine games back of the San Francisco Giants for the last wild card spot in the NL.