Report: Nationals agree to terms with Scherzer on 7-year, $210-million deal
The Washington Nationals are proof the best teams on paper don't always win. But that's not stopping general manager Mike Rizzo from assembling a roster chock full of talent.
Washington added to its abundance of star power Sunday by signing free-agent pitcher Max Scherzer to a record-breaking seven-year, $210-million deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Scherzer will receive $15 million per season under a 14-year deferral plan, according to Rosenthal, who also notes that the Nationals' offer was $66 million more than what the Detroit Tigers offered Scherzer last spring. It's the largest contract in franchise history and richest deal ever for a free-agent pitcher.
Related: Max Scherzer bolsters Nationals' star-studded rotation
Scherzer joins a remarkable Nationals rotation that currently includes Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister, Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez, though it appears increasingly unlikely those five will comprise the club's Opening Day staff. Zimmermann and Fister are both entering the final year of their contracts, and the former has been subject to persistent trade rumors this winter.
Rosenthal's colleague Jon Morosi indicated Sunday that the Nationals are also willing to listen to offers for Strasburg, who remains under club control for two more seasons.
Scherzer, meanwhile, will become the second-richest pitcher in baseball behind Clayton Kershaw and the $215-million extension he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers last winter.
| YEAR | IP | SO | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 195.2 | 184 | 3.50 | 1.25 |
| 2011 | 195 | 174 | 4.43 | 1.35 |
| 2012 | 187.2 | 231 | 3.74 | 1.27 |
| 2013 | 214.1 | 240 | 2.90 | 0.97 |
| 2014 | 220.1 | 252 | 3.15 | 1.18 |
Scherzer has established himself as one of the top arms in baseball since joining the Tigers in a three-way trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks during the 2009 offseason. The hard-throwing right-hander has averaged 203 innings per year over the last five seasons and boasts the fifth-highest strikeout rate over that stretch. His 723 strikeouts since 2012 leads all major-league pitchers.
The 2013 Cy Young Award winner was considered the top free agent available this winter after posting his second consecutive 200-inning season. He joins a Nationals team that won a National League-best 96 games in 2014, but suffered its second early-round playoff exit in three years.
Nevertheless, the Nationals are set to enter the 2015 season as prohibitive World Series favorites. Washington's rotation - whether it includes Zimmermann, Strasburg or Tanner Roark - projects to be the top staff in baseball.
Scherzer, 30, was considered a long shot to return to Detroit after rejecting a six-year, $144-million extension last spring. Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski conceded as much Friday, saying the club was unlikely to pursue the right-hander.
Instead, Scherzer's career now comes full circle. Sunday's signing reunites him with Rizzo, who drafted Scherzer in 2006 while serving as the vice president of scouting for the Diamondbacks.