Max Scherzer, Nationals Agree To 7-Year Deal

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a surprising move to upgrade an already imposing rotation, the Washington Nationals agreed to a seven-year contract with 2013 AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no deal had been announced.

Scherzer, a 30-year-old right-handed starter, became a free agent after spending the past five seasons with the Detroit Tigers. He turned down an offer from Detroit last March that would have paid him $144 million from 2015-20.

He was 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA in 2014, a year after going 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA and being voted the best pitcher in the American League.

The NL East champion Nationals' starting staff in 2014 included Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister -- Scherzer's former teammate with the Tigers -- Gio Gonzalez and Tanner Roark.

That group already was considered among the best -- if not the best -- rotation in the majors, and Scherzer's addition only makes it better.

The question now is what move could come next for the Nationals, who might pursue a trade.

Zimmermann went 14-5 with a 2.66 ERA and 182 strikeouts in 199 2-3 innings in 2014, and he threw the first no-hitter in Nationals history on the last day of the regular season. But he can enter free agency after next season.

Last season, Strasburg was 14-11 with a 3.14 ERA and 242 strikeouts in 215 innings; Fister was 16-6 with a 2.41 ERA; Gonzalez went 10-10 with a 3.57 ERA, and Roark went 15-10 with a 2.85 ERA in 198 2-3 innings.

Gonzalez, third in NL Cy Young Award voting in 2012, is the only left-hander in the bunch.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.