5 Rangers on Thin Ice This Offseason

5. Max Scherzer

Max Scherzer has been incredible throughout his career, but his time as an elite pitcher appears to be over.

Scherzer is going to turn 40 next year, and he already has a ton of mileage on his arm. He got hurt in September last year and gutted through the playoffs, but clearly wasn't the same guy and didn't pitch more than 4 innings in any of his outings.

The three-time Cy Young winner has now missed time with injuries in each of the past two seasons, and his 3.77 ERA last year was his highest since 2011. He's trending in the wrong direction, is no longer a reliable ace and his best days are behind him.

Scherzer is going to be a free agent after next season, so next year could be a good time to flip him at the trade deadline for some future assets if the Rangers get off to a slow start. Pitchers are already risky enough as it is, especially ones who have thrown as many pitches as he has. His arm is basically a ticking time bomb at this point.

It also helps that the New York Mets are paying nearly half of his salary, so Texas shouldn't feel obligated to keep him for the entire season if it's not working out.

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