How did Max Scherzer end up with Rangers? The Mets knew when to cut their losses

In late 2020, when analyzing the various traits that made Steve Cohen one of the world’s richest men as a stock trader, author Sheelah Kolhatkar hammered one home.

“He was so good at knowing when to cut your losses — because apparently that is one of the biggest areas where traders get into trouble,” Kolhatkar said. “They become really attached to certain investments and then when things change and they’re not good investments anymore, they have a really hard time making the decision to sell them. He was just very cold and focused, and he was able to make those decisions without letting his emotions get in the way.”

On Saturday night, amidst as disappointing a season as the Mets have ever had, Cohen cut his losses.

Max Scherzer is a Texas Ranger. In a deal that lingered as plausible but never felt realistic over the last month, the Mets sent Scherzer and roughly $36 million to Texas in exchange for Double-A shortstop Luisangel Acuña (younger brother of Atlanta superstar, Ronald). Acuña is a consensus top-100 prospect in the sport.

While the future of the Mets is a little brighter, the present is a whole lot more muddled.

What does this mean ahead of the MLB trade deadline?

The Mets had already announced their intention to sell with Thursday night’s trade of closer David Robertson to the Marlins. While unsurprising, the deal compelled Scherzer to want a meeting with “Mets brass” to discuss the direction of the organization.

“You trade our closer away, I’m sure a bunch of people have to have a conversation with the front office,” Scherzer said Friday night. If the Robertson trade didn’t jar some other veterans on the club, like Justin Verlander, of course, but also Pete Alonso, who is only under contract through next season, this deal will.

Less than 24 hours later, Scherzer’s a Ranger.

After initiating a conversation with GM Billy Eppler, Francisco Lindor said he received better clarification regarding what’s ahead. Lindor said he anticipated more departures from the clubhouse, but referred to the Mets’ moves as a “transition,” not a rebuild. “I am here for the long term,” Lindor added. “I am here to try to win championships. But also to be part of an amazing organization. You want to win, and you want to win now, but you also want to have stability. From my understanding, that is what I am seeing right now.”

Still, the decision to go this far in selling surprised many in the clubhouse. Players heard rumblings before the game. They said to themselves, “No way.” But when some of them didn’t see Scherzer around, they took reports more seriously. During the rain delay before the 11-6 loss to the Nationals, players told Scherzer goodbye.

“Honestly, shocked,” Alonso said.

“We knew that anything could be on the table now,” Brandon Nimmo said. “We weren’t sure how far this might go, but…