HOF-worthy pitcher reportedly on Mets radar

Per Sports Illustrated's Pat Ragazzo, one of Scherzer's suitors is the New York Mets, the team he played for in 2022 and 2023. 

But how much sense does a reunion make for the Mets? 

On the surface, a one-year contract for a pitcher who will turn 41 in July carries a degree of risk. Scherzer is coming off a 2024 season in which he made just nine starts because of injury, posting a 3.95 ERA and 40 strikeouts over 43.1 innings.

However, New York's starting rotation feels incomplete. Despite adding veteran pitchers Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes in free agency and bringing back lefty Sean Manaea from last season, New York lacks a true ace. They have right-hander Kodai Senga, who should be healthy this season, but the Mets will need to see more after his brief and uninspiring postseason in 2024.

To be clear, Scherzer, who is 216-112 over 17 big-league seasons, is not an ace himself at this stage of his career. But depth matters over a 162-game regular season, and even more so for a Mets team that expects to contend for a playoff spot again in 2025. In that regard, the veteran right-hander would bring a wealth of October experience and familiarity playing in New York.

Scherzer's Mets tenure is probably most remembered for his playoff dud in the 2022 NL wild-card series against the San Diego Padres, as well as his less-than-clutch performance in a crucial September series against the Atlanta Braves that denied the Mets their first NL East division title since 2015.

It's also worth noting that the Mets traded Scherzer at the 2023 deadline for infielder Luisangel Acuna, after owner Steve Cohen reportedly told Scherzer the Mets were essentially punting on 2024 with a goal to return to contention by 2025. Is that relationship frayed at all? That much is unclear. The Mets do have a new front office since then, though, led by David Stearns.

For now, a reunion between the Mets and Max Scherzer is merely rumor. But this will be an interesting storyline to monitor.