From top to bottom, the 2021 Los Angeles Dodgers team was as good as it gets. Talent-wise, one could make a strong argument that the 2021 Dodgers were one of the best teams to never win a World Series.
Baseball is a strange game, and the Atlanta Braves played well in the National League Championship Series, but it was certainly a missed opportunity for the Dodgers.
Players on that team included Corey Seager, Trea Turner, Max Scherzer, and a few stars from the current Dodgers roster. Scherzer and Turner were traded to the Dodgers at the deadline, giving them a boost in their pursuit of a World Series.
Scherzer, a future Hall of Famer, didn’t have the ending anyone hoped for in that campaign. His arm bothered him, and it was just the start of the injuries he’d go on to deal with.
Despite the past, Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors predicted Scherzer would reunite this winter with the Dodgers on a one-year, $16 million deal.
“Amazingly, Scherzer just had the first real injury-plagued season of his career at the age of 39. In every full season from 2009 to 2023, he tossed at least 145 innings. That included a run of at least 170 innings in each full campaign from 2009 to 2021 and 200-plus in each season from 2013 to 2018. But in 2024, he hit a series of speed bumps. Offseason back surgery put him on the IL to start the season but he was hoping to be back in May…
“Despite all the health concerns, Scherzer was still good when on the mound. He posted a 3.95 ERA, 22.6% strikeout rate and 5.6% walk rate. He won’t be able to get the massive $43.33MM average annual value he got on his last deal, but plenty of late-career veterans have secured solid one-year deals lately,” MLB Trade Rumors wrote on November 4.
Scherzer’s History With the Dodgers
Many Los Angeles Dodgers fans were upset and frustrated with Scherzer after his 2021 stint.
He said his arm was bothering him and didn’t pitch in Game 6 of the NLCS, a move that’s been criticized. However, it’s almost unfair to be too upset with a pitcher citing any arm pain, as he had a $43 million AAV arm at that stage in his career and needed to protect himself.
Even he was upset with how things ended, saying it left a “sour taste” in the Dodgers’ mouths.
“That team was built to win the World Series,” the three-time Cy Young Award-winning pitcher said in April 2023, according to Jack Harris of the LA Times. “So when you come up short, that leaves a little sour taste in your mouth.”
Skipper Dave Roberts loved having Scherzer around, too, so the idea of a reunion at a favorable price shouldn’t be out of the picture.
“I enjoyed having Max around,” Roberts said. “I think we all just wish it would have ended differently.”
Why the Dodgers Could Use Scherzer Still
After signing Blake Snell, adding another starter might not seem like something the Los Angeles Dodgers need to do.
However, it’s important for the Dodgers to remember all of the injuries they’ve dealt with. Despite winning the World Series last year, the Dodgers were derailed by injuries on the bump.
Pitchers have gotten injured at an alarming rate recently, and having Scherzer in their back pocket wouldn’t hurt if he’s healthy.
For a cheap price, he could be used as a spot starter or even transition into the bullpen if needed at this stage in his career.
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Dodgers Predicted to Reunite With WS Champion for $16 Million