NEWSLETTER
If it weren’t for the Anthony Rizzo trade, I would call this the biggest WHAT THE FFFFFF moment of the day. Because Jeff Passan just dropped a monster bomb.
The Dodgers are trying to not only snag Max Scherzer away from the Padres, but they’re TRYING TO GET TREA TURNER, TOO:
BREAKING: The Los Angeles Dodgers are making significant progress on a deal that would send them star right-hander Max Scherzer and star shortstop Trea Turner from the Washington Nationals for a prospect-laden return, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2021
Sources: Dodgers are working to get both Max Scherzer and Trea Turner from the Nationals. Deal is not done, hurdles remains. First to mention development: @JeffPassan.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 30, 2021
Scherzer, who was reportedly close to getting dealt to the Padres earlier today, is clearly the top arm available on the market, and the NL West teams are duking it out to land him. What this would mean for the Craig Kimbrel market remains to be seen, as the Dodgers were believed to be a primary suitor. Do they push even harder, since they’re WAY all in? Or do they not want to lose that much prospect capital at one deadline?
If the Dodgers pry Scherzer away, it’s open to a lot of speculation about what the Padres might do, especially given their desire to unload Eric Hosmer’s contract in the process (i.e., doing that while acquiring big pieces would require a MASSIVE trade package going out the door (can the Cubs do that, and then send Hosmer to the Red Sox?)). Apparently the Padres are no longer optimistic.
Turner makes a ton of sense for the Dodgers, actually, since there remain questions about when Corey Seager (broken hand) will be fully good to go again, and then he’s a free agent after the year. So the Dodgers would just have Turner be their 2022 shortstop.
This might be serious, given that top Dodgers prospect Keibert Ruiz has reportedly been scratched tonight. He would be a central piece in a deal like this.
If this happens, I have no idea what the Padres and Giants will do next. This is madness.
UPDATE: It’s madness, indeed. Because it’s happening:
BREAKING: The Dodgers are finalizing a deal to acquire star right-hander Max Scherzer and star shortstop Trea Turner from the Washington Nationals for a massive prospect haul, sources tell ESPN. The blockbuster of blockbusters is going to happen.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2021
If trade is completed, full package headed to Nationals for Scherzer and Turner will be C Keibert Ruiz, RHP Josiah Gray and two mid-range prospects, sources tell @TheAthletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 30, 2021
Trades like this, at the deadline, are so rare. Especially where two VERY tip-top prospects are involved. I’m just blown away that this is going down, and like I wrote above, the implications are massive (and really hard to predict).
