The surprising Texas Rangers are going all-in with Max Scherzer just when they need a big boost the most.

The AL West leaders acquired the three-time Cy Young Award winner from the New York Mets in a blockbuster trade announced Sunday, right about the time Texas placed ace Nathan Eovaldi on the 15-day injured list with a strained right forearm.

News of the agreement broke Saturday night while the Rangers were losing for the sixth time in eight games, trimming their lead over second-place Houston to one game.

Texas didn’t stop there, either. The team also landed left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery, right-handed reliever Chris Stratton and international bonus pool money from the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday for left-hander John King, minor league infielder Tommy Saggese and minor league right-hander T.K. Roby.

Texas manager Bruce Bochy said Scherzer will make his Rangers debut Thursday when he starts at home against the Chicago White Sox.

“It’s great. We’re pumped about it. We’re getting an experienced guy with a tremendous resume,” Bochy said before the Rangers tried to avoid a sweep in San Diego.

Bochy said the message to his players before Tuesday’s trade deadline is: “Hey, we mean business. We’re here to win. And it’s always a great message when a team does something like this.”

Rangers general manager Chris Young, a former big league pitcher, was excited as well.

“Obviously, Max’s pedigree is a future Hall of Fame pitcher and the winner that he is is a perfect fit for what we need right now,” Young said. “You can never have enough starting pitching and to add someone of Max’s caliber is a great addition to our club. We landed the player we feel like is going to help us get where we want to go this year.”

Texas has emerged from six consecutive losing seasons to lead the AL West all but one day in Bochy’s first season in charge. Bochy won three World Series championships from 2010-14 as manager of the San Francisco Giants.

While hoping his absence won’t go beyond 15 days, Eovaldi, an All-Star this season who won a World Series title with the Boston Red Sox in 2018, was happy to hear of the acquisition of Scherzer.

“Adding him not only to this rotation for this year but also for next year, is a huge pickup,” Eovaldi said. “He brings that experience. He’s accomplished everything. What he’s going to be able to do for the guys, the energy, and you see how he goes out there and competes on the mound, and then just that extra experience for the postseason as well.

“We’ve got more guys that have experienced it and been through it, and the more guys you have with everything that he’s been able to accomplish, the better it is for the whole rotation and the team itself,” Eovaldi added.

Eovaldi joins two other Rangers All-Stars on the IL, catcher Jonah Heim and shortstop Corey Seager.

The trade netted the Mets one of Texas’ top prospects in infielder Luisangel Acuña, the younger brother of Atlanta star Ronald Acuña Jr. New York said he will be optioned to Double-A Binghamton.

Scherzer waived his no-trade clause to complete the deal, and the Mets will send cash to Texas. The pitcher also agreed to opt in on the final year of his contract in 2024 at $43.3 million, according to reports that said the Mets were paying about $35 million of the remaining $58 million on the right-hander’s contract.

The 39-year-old Scherzer joins another former Mets ace in Texas: injured right-hander Jacob deGrom. However, the two-time Cy Young Award winner had Tommy John surgery last month that could sideline him through the end of next season.

Scherzer (9-4) was leading the Mets in wins but had his highest ERA (4.01) since 2011 with Detroit. The eight-time All-Star started Friday at home against Washington, allowing one run over seven innings in a 5-1 New York victory.

With 210 career wins, Scherzer is third among active pitchers behind Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke.

The Mets, one of baseball’s biggest disappointments, unloaded Scherzer just days after sending closer David Robertson to Miami for two minor leaguers Thursday night.

New York began the season with the highest payroll in baseball at a record $355 million but started Sunday 18 games behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East and seven games back in the wild-card race with a string of teams to catch.

“We just couldn’t get the consistency clicking,” general manager Billy Eppler said.

The next question is what the Mets will do with Verlander, another three-time Cy Young Award winner signed through next season. There should be plenty of suitors for the 40-year-old right-hander, who earned his 250th career win Sunday against Washington.

The Rangers made the first notable move of this trading season by getting once-dominant closer Aroldis Chapman from Kansas City in June. Chapman has stayed in a setup role with Will Smith handling most of the closing duties.

Now, Texas has bolstered its rotation.

The 21-year-old Acuña was batting .315 with seven homers, 51 RBIs and an .830 OPS in 84 games with Double-A Frisco this season. He also had 25 doubles and was leading the Texas League in stolen bases (42) and runs (68).

Acuña was the third-ranked prospect in Texas’ farm system and No. 44 overall in the majors, according to MLB Pipeline.

___

Dixon reported from Texas.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

The post Rangers purchase Scherzer from Mets in blockbuster transfer abruptly AL West leaders appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The San Francisco 49ers currently have the option to wait more than 24 hours after day one of the NFL Draft to make their first pick.

Or they can complement their aggressive offseason and move up the draft—and crash on the first day of the April 27 festival.

Bleacher Report NFL columnist Joe Tansey presented some hypothetical trade ideas involving SF on Wednesday, April 5. And one bold, calculated move he’s written down as a tactic the 49ers can consider: first-round trading.

“The San Francisco 49ers are in a position where they can sit back and make a calculated move in the 2023 NFL draft. The 49ers have 11 picks in the selection process, but the first pick doesn’t come until 99th,” Tansey wrote, with the 99th pick coming in the late third round.

While Tansey acknowledges the late round, the 49ers’ scouting department — names like Brock Purdy, Talanoa Hufanga, Elijah Mitchell and Deommodore Lenoir in the final two drafts, which were last day’s picks — discovered the appeal of one or more selections from Using 2023 to move up The draft is still an intriguing thought, especially at a time when late blockbuster trades are being made.

Idea has 49ers send multiple picks to Super Bowl contenders for their first pick

The hypothetical idea that first comes to Tansey’s mind? The 49ers are making a deal with a team they already took a big fish from: the Philadelphia Eagles, who lost defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to an $84 million contract with the Niners.

But this time, the 49ers can make this generous offer per Tansey: They’ll send their 99th, 102nd, 155th, and 216th picks to the NFC champions in exchange for the 30th overall pick held by the Eagles.

“General Manager John Lynch should be tasked with evaluating all possibilities in the 2023 NFL draft. The biggest throw Lynch could make is getting into the back end of the first round by packing up a handful of his picks,” Tansey wrote.

He’s another reason why Tansey thinks this idea could become a reality: the NFC champions have no picks in the fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds. Also, the Eagles are the ones who don’t shy away from making a splashy trade in April – a la AJ Brown on last year’s draft night when Philly sent the 18th overall pick and 101st pick to the Tennessee Titans.

“Lynch could put together a combination of three picks to meet the needs of the Eagles and land a player who the 49ers think will drop off the draft board,” Tansey said. “Philadelphia could shrug off all negotiations because in terms of trading yield it may have the pick for the first round with a higher rating, but that seems like the most logical place for the 49ers to trade.”

With the 49ers orchestrating the trade, who could be an option for SF?

Say this deal won’t go through. Tansey thinks No. 30 can go to someone who falls on draft boards.

If that’s the case, the 49ers might get lucky and add another layer to their defensive line. One name forecast to drift towards the first’s later picks is Iowa State’s Will McDonald IV. The Cyclones edge-rusher was derided by ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay Tuesday at No. 30 after Philly. However, the 49ers, which add both Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant to the edge rush room, could convince SF to refrain from an edge rusher.

But a fast-rising name with the potential to slide inside is Northwestern’s Adetomiwa Adebawore, previously mentioned as a 49er opportunity. The Wildcat took to the stage as McShay’s hybrid edge rusher/three technique centre-back. The thought of a 282-pound defenseman running a 4.49-40-yard dash must be more than tempting for 49ers DL coach Kris Kocurek, especially the pairing of Adebawore with Hargrave.

There are other requirements like the right tackle, safety and an extra tight end. But the market for the latter position is stronger after the round of 16, as names like Utah’s Dalton Kincaid, Norte Dame’s Michael Mayer and Georgia’s Darnell Washington are projected by McShay to go between picks 24-40. Or SF can hold back and see if a fast-rising sleeper like Old Dominion’s Zack Kuntz can fall on them in later rounds.

Regardless, this is a trade idea enticing enough to keep an eye on for the next three weeks.

The post Blockbuster 49ers Commerce Thought Has S.F. Transferring to 1st Spherical appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Where do the San Francisco 49ers stand with Jimmy Garoppolo? (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

The San Francisco 49ers figured to move off longtime starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo before NFL free agency even started last week.

Both the 49ers and Garoppolo admitted immediately following San Francisco’s NFC Championship Game loss to the Los Angeles Rams that his time in Northern Calfornia was coming to an end.

Now, nearly a year after San Francisco traded up in the 2021 NFL Draft to draft Garoppolo’s heir-apparent, his situation is more complicated.

To be clear. Trey Lance will be the 49ers’ Week 1 starter once the 2022 season comes calling. Garoppolo will not be on the roster.

With that said, we’re now entering the second week of NFL free agency and Garoppolo remains on the 49ers’ books with a cap hit of $26.95 million. It has impacted their ability to be big-time players during free agency with one high-priced signing and multiple lower-level deals.

Now that the likes of fellow quarterbacks such as Russell Wilson, Carson Wentz and Dashaun Watson have been traded, the market for Garoppolo’s services has shrunk. With Baker Mayfield firmly on the block, too, it could shrink even more. Below, I look at where we are at in the entire Garoppolo saga with the 49ers.

Jimmy Garoppolo Trade Market

Deshaun Watson trade complicates Jimmy Garoppolo’s market. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith, File)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Previously linked to Garoppolo, a number of teams have found their new starting quarterbacks. That includes Russell Wilson heading to the Denver Broncos, the Cleveland Browns pulling off a blockbuster trade for Deshaun Watson and the Washington Commanders adding Carson Wentz to the mix.

If we conclude San Francisco is not going to trade Garoppolo to the division rival Seattle Seahawks, there’s less than a handful of teams that make sense for the Super Bowl quarterback.

The Indianapolis Colts remain very much in the market for Garoppolo and had trade discussions with San Francisco about the veteran during the NFL Scouting Combine. It’s also important to note that Colts general manager Chris Ballard has dealt with San Francisco’s front office recently. That included the 49ers trading star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to Indy following the 2019 season.

However, things are complicated here due to Mayfield’s presence on the trade market after Cleveland traded for Deshaun Watson on Saturday. Having requested a trade prior to that blockbuster, Mayfield is not in a position to dictate where he goes.

With that said, it’s being reported that he prefers the Colts — further complicating San Francisco’s ability to trade Garoppolo. The Seattle Seahawks are also firmly in the mix for Mayfield and have had internal conversations about acquiring him after sending Wilson to the Broncos. Could Seattle use some of the bounty it received from Denver to entice the Browns in a trade? This would be the best-case scenario for San Francisco, setting the stage for a Garoppolo trade to Indianapolis.

MORE FROM FORBESSan Francisco 49ers on the Forbes NFL Team Valuations List

There’s also two NFC South teams (and potentially a third squad) in the market for a new quarterback.

The Carolina Panthers struck out in their attempt to acquire the aforementioned Watson. They now have to make a choice between selecting a rookie quarterback in the top-10 of the 2022 NFL Draft or biting the bullet on a Garoppolo trade. After all, the Panthers’ brass has made it clear that Sam Darnold is not the answer under center following his disastrous first season in Charlotte.

Also in a Watson trade, the New Orleans Saints find themselves in an unenviable position in the post-Sean Payton era. Taysom Hill is the only in-house candidate to take over under center. However, the Saints do have interest in re-signing Jameis Winston after he suffered a torn ACL last season. Will Winston’s familiarity with offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael’s scheme play a role in the Saints’ decision-making process? San Francisco hopes not.

As for the other AFC South team, the Atlanta Falcons were close to finalizing a deal for Watson before Cleveland came through to offer him a fully guaranteed $230 million contract.

While Atlanta kept veteran quarterback Matt Ryan in the mix behind the scenes, there’s a decent chance the former NFL MVP will ultimately request a trade. Likely wanting to join a contender, his market might be impacted. Perhaps, the Seahawks or Colts show interest.

Either way, it’s hard to imagine the Falcons turning around and acquiring Garoppolo should they be forced to trade Ryan. In this scenario, Arthur Blank’s team might just opt ​​to go into full-scale rebuild mode.

Timeline And Details Of A Potential Jimmy Garoppolo Trade

Jimmy Garoppolo traded to the Carolina Panthers could make sense. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Getty Images

From San Francisco’s perspective, the sooner the better. There’s absolutely no reason for this to draw on any further. Realistically, it would be a nightmare scenario if a trade is not finalized before the 2022 NFL Draft late next month. In fact, the 49ers want some sort of resolution within the week.

Any thought given to the idea that this will still remain unsettled come summer time an training camp is laughable.

There’s a few reasons for this. The 49ers currently find themselves $7.74 million under the cap. Garoppolo’s $26.95 million cap hit is still on the books. Ridding them of that figure would help the 49ers’ brass add to other areas of need before the NFL free agent market thins out even more.

San Francisco has needs at wide receiver, guard, edge pass rush and cornerback — needs it will not be able to address in a wholesale manner during the 2022 NFL Draft without a first-round pick.

For example, the 49ers have been linked to former New England Patriots All-Pro cornerback Stephen Gilmore. His going rate will be north of $12 million annually. Even after signing fellow cornerback Charvarius Ward, San Francisco still has interest in Gilmore. It will not be able to finalize a deal until Garoppolo is off the team’s books.

MORE FROM FORBESSan Francisco 49ers Sign Charvarius Ward: Financial Impact And More Informationby Vincent Frank

Recently-released former Tennessee Titans wide receiver Julio Jones is also someone the 49ers’ brass figures to have interest in given his relationship with head coach Kyle Shanahan dating back to their time together with the Atlanta Falcons. In short, moving Garoppolo should be San Francisco’s next big move.

The question then becomes what a trade might look like. Let’s take the Carolina Panthers out of the group above and focus on that initially. Carolina finds itself $31.79 million under the cap. It could easily take on Garoppolo’s contract without blinking an eye from a financial perspective. At issue here is Darnold’s presence and $18.86 million cap hit. Will general manager Scott Fitterer want to dole out north of $43 million in cap room to two marginal quarterbacks?

As with any potential trade, there’s other avenues to pursue. San Francisco could agree to take on Darnold as a backup to Lance. In the process, it demands more in return by picking up some of his $18.86 million cap hit. That is to say, demanding the Panthers up the ante by agreeing to pay out half of it. In this scenario, the 49ers add more draft capital.

It’s also not a secret that Carolina has injury-plagued All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey on the trade block. His value has decreased big time with the former Stanford star having played a total of 10 games over the past two seasons.

Perhaps, the 49ers opt to take a chance that McCaffrey’s injuries are behind him while adding the dynamic threat to Kyle Shanahan’s offense. At full strength, he’d be a perfect fit. After losing Raheem Mostert to the Miami Dolphins, running back also remains a need for the 49ers.

With a base salary of $8.4 million, the 49ers would be able to take on McCaffrey’s cap hit while adding other pieces in free agency. This scenario would also include Carolina sending some draft capital to Northern California.

MORE FROM FORBESBreaking Down San Francisco 49ers’ Decision To Hire Brian Griese As Next Quarterbacks Coachby Vincent Frank

Things get less complicated when it comes to the Colts and Saints. Both have the cap room to add Garoppolo to the mix without having to trade away a quarterback contract. Indianapolis could offer up its second-round pick and change for Jimmy GQ. The same thing could be said about New Orleans.

As it is, this is a situation the 49ers need to settle in short order. It has handcuffed them during NFL free agency. By trading Garoppolo, San Francisco would then be able to focus on adding more veterans to the mix before turning its attention to the 2022 NFL Draft as well as extending Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa.

Right now, things are in a holding pattern. And in reality, that’s not a great look.

The post The place Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers Stand After Sequence Of NFL Blockbuster Trades appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Anything can happen in the next month before the Jets are on the clock in the first round of the NFL draft. However, with two blockbuster deals on Friday, it appears New York is positioning itself to bring in number 2 BYU quarterback Zach Wilson.

By early Friday afternoon, it was revealed that the 49ers had traded 3rd and sent a ton of picks to the Dolphins as Miami returned to 12th overall. The trade as first reported by Adam Schefter from ESPN contains two future first-round picks.

It’s the type of trade you make to level up and get a quarterback. Even if the 49ers are supposedly staying with Jimmy GaroppoloThe expectation is that this year’s quarterback class will get off the board early and often. This puts San Francisco in the middle of this process.

Given the connections between the 49ers and the Jets, namely New York’s new head coach Robert Saleh, imagine San Francisco trying to call Jets general manager Joe Douglas to become the second overall winner.

As much as that would make sense, it turns out that San Francisco never contacted the Jets about the number 2.

Maybe San Francisco already knows what New York is up to? The 49ers were likely one of the teams that reached out to the Jets to inquire about Sam Darnold’s availability. Maybe the number 2 was already excluded in the off-season?

As if that were enough breaking news for the day, Miami returned to the top 10 a moment later, trading a selection of picks with the Eagles in another blockbuster.

The Eagles also wanted to trade all the way to number 3, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, but Philadelphia pulled back because they didn’t think Zach Wilson would be available.

Rapoport later made it clear that this had more to do with Philadelphia’s rebuilding and internal assessments of whether it would be worth trading that high on this year’s draft.

In either case, the big advantage is that other teams act on the assumption that Wilson will no longer be available after the second choice. Any team looking to design a quarterback under Choice # 2 would work with Justin Fields of Ohio, Trey Lance of North Dakota, or Mac Jones of Alabama.

New York could have been busy on Friday if they wanted to swap number 2 away. Sure, the full story about the Jets’ involvement in negotiations and possible proposals is unclear at this point, but this was a perfect opportunity to secure a lot of value if the plan was to stick with Darnold. That opportunity came and went.

Few teams left – possibly the Denver Broncos or Carolina Panthers – could be in the market to trade in for a quarterback. Would you blow Douglas and his team away with an offer New York can’t refuse? Sounds like it has to be more than Miami got from San Francisco.

Even then, the jets couldn’t accept it.

MORE ABOUT ZACH WILSON:

Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), on Facebook (also @MaxTGoodman), bookmark Jets Country and check out daily for news, analysis and more.

The post What San Francisco 49ers blockbuster commerce means for New York Jets appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.