There are quite a bit more than six aces in baseball. Heck, the Mets have two of them. It doesn't hurt to ask about Scherzer. Why give ace money to a guy like Corbin who has no track record for consistent production? If you haven't noticed, the Nats are poising themselves for a long run of contending in the post-Harper era. Trading Scherzer would free up money to continue in that direction. They also owe five years and $138 million to Strasburg (can opt out after year three), who can't be moved due to his frequent health woes. Strasburg gets $42 million next year and $38 million in 2020. That's $80 million per season for two pitchers. Nats would be smart to trade the guy who would net a return (as the Mets should be doing with deGrom at his peak value).
The goal is building a winner. Moving Scherzer lengthens the Nats' window well into the next decade. It also gives the Yankees an excellent shot of returning to the World Series in 2019 and 2020, if not 2021 as well. Put it this way: Scherzer is coming off six straight seasons that are better than the career year Corbin just had. Three Cy Young Awards, a runner-up and two fifth place finishes. Which pitcher is the better bet to anchor the Yankees' staff alongside Severino?