Max Scherzer trade to Dodgers is one of the greatest deadline deals of all time

Where does Max Scherzer to the Dodgers rank among MLB’s best deadline deals?

The MLB trade deadline has always been a fascinating time of year. While most seasons don’t provide the same sort of constant, game-changing moves we saw in 2021, there’s usually always at least one or two moves that really shake things up. This year, the most impactful trade has been the Dodgers’ acquisition of Max Scherzer from the Washington Nationals. In nine starts for the Dodgers, Scherzer has recorded seven wins, a 0.78 ERA, and a .655 WHIP across 58 innings pitched. You might as well call him Super Bowl 47, because he’s been lights out. While Scherzer has been fantastic, there have been dozens of other remarkably impactful deals to come out of MLB trade deadlines of the past.

So, I’ve compiled a list of the greatest deadline trades I can think of. While it’s obvious that I’m going to miss a few here and there, I wanted to take a few things into account.

1) Whether or not the team retained said player. While having a great player for any amount of time is always appreciated, I put much more value into a trade that leads to several years of production rather than just half a season.

2) Team success. Normally, when teams acquire someone at the trade deadline, they do so in an attempt to get their team over the hump. If a team is fighting for a playoff berth, this acquisition should get them in the playoffs no problem. If a team is a World Series contender, this player should help them win, or at least appear in, the World Series. I know I’ll get a lot of backlash for this, because of how fickle baseball is, but it’s alright.

3) What did that team give up for said player? I love Doyle Alexander, and his 1987 season was one for the ages, but the Tigers had to give up John Smoltz in order to acquire him…now, who won the trade?

With that said, let’s see how Scherzer stacks up.