Yankees: 3 stars NYY can realistically acquire at the trade deadline

1. Max Scherzer

Anyone care to tell us why the Yankees can’t trade for Max Scherzer?

The New York Yankees need another ace if the starting rotation is going to be this unreliable the rest of the way. Washington Nationals workhorse Max Scherzer finds himself on a struggling team that’s lost its magic from 2019. Nobody can blame them. It’s been a weird year and they lost key contributors.

Scherzer is signed through 2021, so it’s not like the Nats would be sacrificing their future in such a trade, especially with next year’s outlook unclear. General manager Mike Rizzo loves to strike on the trade market when the iron is hot and this could be the perfect opportunity for him to orchestrate a mini re-tool and build around Juan Soto.

Look, we’re not assistant general managers here, but this could easily cost the Yankees an MLB talent and a couple of top prospects. Cashman HAS to be willing to surrender that if he’s serious about this team making a title run this year or in 2021. Cole and Scherzer atop the Yankees’ rotation would be the perfect short-term beast the roster needs.

Scherzer’s enduring a rough go thus far with a 4.31 ERA in six starts. But give the guy another reason to go out there and scream profanities into his glove, and he just might turn into Mad Max in a flash. The Yankees give him a legitimate two-year window to win a World Series and we don’t see why him or the Nats wouldn’t be open to talking this out.

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