Dodgers land Scherzer, Turner in massive trade
The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired right-hander Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner from the Washington Nationals for catcher Keibert Ruiz, right-handers Josiah Gray and Gerardo Carrillo, and outfielder Donovan Case, the team announced.
Scherzer waived his no-trade clause to play in L.A., according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
Dodgers are taking on all the money owed Scherzer and Turner, according to a person familiar with the situation.
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) July 30, 2021
The San Diego Padres were reportedly close to acquiring the three-time Cy Young winner on Thursday, but a deal didn't materialize.
Scherzer allowed just one run over six innings Thursday in what turned out to be his last start for the Nationals. The eight-time All-Star has accrued a 2.76 ERA with 147 strikeouts over 111 innings (19 starts) in his 14th major-league season.
Turner is currently on the injured list after testing positive for COVID-19. The 28-year-old All-Star is slashing .322/.369/.521 with 18 homers and 21 stolen bases in 96 games.
Ruiz and Gray were the top prospects in the Dodgers' minor-league system and are ranked No. 41 and No. 42 in all of baseball, respectively, according to MLB Pipeline. The 23-year-old Ruiz has played in eight major-league games but posted a 1.012 OPS over 52 contests in Triple-A this season. Gray started one game for the Dodgers. The 23-year-old right-hander owns a 2.87 ERA with 12.6 K/9 in the minors during the 2021 campaign.
L.A. also traded for left-hander Danny Duffy on Thursday to solidify a rotation that's missing Clayton Kershaw and Dustin May because of injuries. The club is also dealing with Trevor Bauer's uncertain legal situation.