LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired three-time Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Max Scherzer and 2021 All-Star infielder Trea Turner from the Washington Nationals in exchange for catcher Keibert Ruiz, pitchers Josiah Gray and Gerardo Carrillo and outfielder Donovan Casey.
Scherzer, 37, has won the Cy Young award three times, earning the honor for the first time in 2013 and winning the award back-to-back seasons in 2016 and 2017. The eight-time National League All-Star is 8-4 with a 2.74 ERA (34 ER/111.0 IP) and147 strikeouts in 19 starts this season. He ranks amongst the National League leaders in wins (T-8th), strikeouts (2nd), ERA (9th), WHIP (4th, 0.89), batting average against (T-4th, .182), opponents OBP (5th, .251) and strikeouts per nine innings (1st, 11.92). The 2019 World Champion hurler has been in the Major Leagues 14 seasons between Arizona (2008-09), Detroit (2011-14) and Washington (2015-21) and is a combined 183-97 with a 3.19 ERA (875 ER/2468.1 IP) and 2,931 strikeouts in 396 career games (387 starts). He was originally drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round (11th overall) of the 2006 First Year Player Draft out of the University of Missouri.
Turner, 28, is batting .322 (125-for-388) with 18 homers and 49 RBI in 96 games for the Nationals this season. He ranks amongst the league leaders in various categories, including batting average (2nd), homers (T-15th), runs (8th, 66), OBP (16th, .369), slugging percentage (9th, .521) and OPS (11th, .890). The 2021 All-Star has been in the Major League parts of seven seasons and has slashed .300/.356/.486 with 93 homers and 306 RBI in 637 career games. He was a former first round selection by the San Diego Padres in 2014 as he was selected with the 13th overall pick out of North Carolina State University.
Ruiz, 23, appeared in six games for the Dodgers this season, clubbing a homer in seven at-bats. In his two Major League stints in 2020 and 2021, he has recorded three hits, including two solo homers in 15 plate appearances. The backstop is a career .300 hitter in the minor leagues with 45 homers and 244 RBI in 439 games. In 52 games for Oklahoma City this season, he was batting .311 (64-for-206) with 16 homers and 45 RBI. He was named the Triple-A West Player of the Week on Monday and was originally signed by the Dodgers as an international free agent on July 20, 2014.
Gray, 23, was selected on July 20 and made his Major League debut that night, tossing 4.0 innings and allowing four runs against the Giants. In two games this season (one start) for the Dodgers, he was 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA (6 ER/8.0 IP) and 13 strikeouts. This season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, he was 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA (5 ER/15.2 IP) and 22 strikeouts in four games (three starts). In his first full season in the Dodgers organization, he was named the 2019 Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year after going a combined 11-2 with a 2.28 ERA (33 ER/130.0 IP) with 147 strikeouts in 26 games (25 starts) between Low-A Great Lakes, High-A Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Tulsa. In his minor league career, he is 14-5 with a 2.41 ERA in 42 games (40 starts). He was originally acquired via trade with infielder Jeter Downs from the Cincinnati Reds on December 21, 2018.
Carrillo, 22, was 3-2 with a 4.25 ERA (28 ER/59.1 IP) and 70 strikeouts in 15 games (14 starts) for Double-A Tulsa. The right-hander was added to the 40-man roster this offseason on November 20, 2020 for the first time in his career. In four minor league seasons, he was a combined 17-14 with a 3.73 ERA (05 ER/253.2 IP) and 238 strikeouts. The Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico born right-hander was originally signed by the Dodgers as an international free agent on July 5, 2016.
Casey, 25, has spent most of the season in Tulsa, batting .296 (89-for-301) with 11 homers and 36 RBI in 73 games. He has spent parts of four seasons in the Dodgers farm system, slashing .286/.348/.474 with 48 homers and 180 RBI in 305 career games. He was drafted by the Dodgers in the 2017 First Year Player Draft out of Boston College in the 20th round.
