"He felt like he was abandoning his teammates" - Buck Showalter reveals why Max Scherzer was skeptical about Rangers trade

Max Scherzer was a much-needed pickup for the Texas Rangers last season. Their rotation struggled, especially with Jacob deGrom being put on the IL after undergoing Tommy John in June.

Scherzer went 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA over the course of 45 innings pitched during the regular season. During the postseason, his impact was limited due to a teres major muscle strain.

However, Scherzer was skeptical of heading over to Texas beforehand. Former Mets manager Buck Showalter recently joined Foul Territory TV to discuss how the three-time Cy Young Award winner processed the trade.

"Max's biggest issue with going to Texas was that he felt like he was abandoning his teammates," stated Showalter.

Max Scherzer felt he was abandoning his Mets teammates as he headed to the Rangers. Although, he would not have pitched in the postseason if he had stayed in New York.

The Mets had a troubling season. They were sellers at the deadline, letting go of both Scherzer and Justin Verlander, along with some others. At the end of the regular season, they finished with a record of 75-87, 29 games out of first place.

Rangers ace Max Scherzer is one-of-a-kind

New York Yankees v New York Mets (Image via Getty)

Buck Showalter certainly enjoyed his time with Max Scherzer in New York. While many aces stay quiet between their starts, the eight-time All-Star does not.

"I had some great conversations with Max. He would come in a couple days after he pitched and plopped down and say 'what's up?' and a few other words," said Showalter.

During his two seasons in the Big Apple, Scherzer was a rockstar. He went 20-9 with a 3.02 ERA on 253 innings of work. During the 2022 season, he held the second-lowest ERA of his career so far.

Scherzer will not be in the rotation for Opening Day. He had surgery in December to repair a herniated disc in his lower back, and there were no complications with the surgery. He is aiming to return sometime during the summer. As competitive as Scherzer is, it would not be surprising to see him return ahead of what he is projecting, especially if the Rangers need him.

Texas kicks off its season against the Chicago Cubs at home on March 28. Certainly, they will have a target on their backs all season long as they look to defend their championship.