With the rotation market moving more quickly than the rest of free agency, the number of unsigned starting pitchers is dwindling. Jack Flaherty, Nick Pivetta and potential reliever conversion Jeff Hoffman are at the top of the class. Beyond that, teams are evaluating pitchers who’ll likely be limited to one- or two-year commitments.
Max Scherzer may be the most intriguing of those short-term targets. The future Hall of Famer was limited to nine starts and 43 1/3 innings during his final season with the Rangers. Scherzer has made clear that he has no plans to retire. He’ll be back for his age-40 campaign in hopes of a healthier, more productive season.
In a live stream for Bleacher Report this afternoon, Jon Heyman suggested that Scherzer is fielding interest from four teams. Heyman indicated that the market “is heating up a bit,” so it’s possible that the three-time Cy Young winner could come off the board in the relatively near future.
Scherzer opened the ’24 season on the injured list as he finished rehab from last December’s back surgery. Nerve irritation in his throwing hand delayed his return until late June. Scherzer made eight starts before going back on the shelf with shoulder fatigue. That kept him out into September. His season concluded after one additional start because of a strained left hamstring.
A pitcher battling multiple injuries, including back surgery, at age 40 is obviously going to raise concerns. Scherzer is only one season removed from starting 30 games and topping 160 innings between the regular season and playoffs. He’d surpassed 170 innings in every full schedule between 2009-21. Until last year, he’d been incredibly durable.
Scherzer remains productive when he’s able to pitch, albeit not at a Cy Young level. He turned in a 3.77 ERA with a 28% strikeout rate between the Mets and Rangers in 2023. Last season, he allowed just under four earned runs per nine with a diminished 22.6% strikeout percentage. Scherzer still got a ton of chases and whiffs on a per-pitch basis though. His 14.6% swinging strike rate ranked fifth among starting pitchers with 40+ innings. Only Blake Snell, Garrett Crochet, Logan Gilbert and Dylan Cease missed bats at a higher rate.
Aside from perhaps Flaherty, Scherzer arguably has the highest ceiling for next season alone of any unsigned starter. There’s also significant risk because of the recent spate of injuries. Scherzer will almost certainly be limited to a one-year contract, so the long-term downside is limited, but he should command a strong salary.
Alex Cobb landed $15MM from the Tigers coming off a season in which he combined for 23 innings between the regular season and playoffs. He recently turned 37 and doesn’t miss bats at anywhere near the rate Scherzer does. It stands to reason that Scherzer and his representation at the Boras Corporation will be aiming to beat Cobb money, perhaps in pursuit of a contract closer to $20MM.
Heyman’s report doesn’t specify any of the teams involved in the bidding. Speculatively speaking, the Braves, Orioles, Blue Jays, Cubs, Nationals and Mets are among the teams that could have some spending room and a desire for a short-term upside play. Scherzer isn’t going to sign with a team that doesn’t have a path to contention, but there are very few truly rebuilding clubs right now. Every team aside from Colorado, Miami and the White Sox may feel they have a path to a Wild Card spot.
Pretty nuts that a Scherzer with a scuttled 2024, clearly dealing with a few nagging injuries/physical limitations, etc. is still likely going to land $20M if he simply feels like pitching one more season.
That said… he’s intriguing. I wouldn’t hate it if the Yankees got him.
Scherzer is not in a position to order a big salary. Man, did he pitch last season?. How old is he. The best choice for him will be the Nationals, when he could act as a mentor.
He’ll ask for big money for whoever tries to sign him…his ego as compared to his late abilities proceeds him…..
Read the article, Paul.
PaulQuebec: As with all free agents, Scherzer is in a position to ask for whatever he thinks he might get.
The best choice for him will be the team that offers whatever he considers the best deal.
@Paul
The article presented us with a comp in And Cobb, whom like Scherzer, missed a significant number of innings last year and had a worse performance but managed to get $15 mil from the Tigers. With that precedent, he’ll likely seek something comparable. He might accept less if it meant fitting into the budget of a team he wants to be with or a team that would dedicate the innings but don’t have the financial wherewithal.
Only way I’d ink him is if he would consider say an $8m base with incentives for if he stays off the IL that could push it up to say $24m if he hits them all. Make him a true partner in a contract.
I could be wrong here, but I do not think those kinds of incentives are allowed by the MLBPA….
@dewey @trill
That’s an interesting idea and one that I’m sure teams will attempt. Only issue is, is they’re a competitor out there that would guarantee more?
Teams can’t offer escalators such as wins, ks, etc but they can offer incentives based off on starts and innings. Health like days off the IL might be possible, but I can see how that might be tricky. Would an injured pitcher attempt to pitch thru pain but have poor results just to get the most money? That’s almost akin to throwing a game.
Obviously, make it based on innings or starts, whatever is allowed. Such translates to the same as staying off the IL (or close enough). Thanks Trillion and Knicks.
I agree, but the weird thing going on is that teams are both paying more than ever for mediocre or big question mark pitchers and they’re also more comfortable icing out over the hill geriatric players who still want to play but other than their legacy performances, do not justify giving up the roster spot for how much they’d cost, or really even for near league minimum vs younger players with way more upside who’d cost the same amount and would be less likely to be limited by injury or general physical malaise.
TTO: They’re paying more because revenues permit it and scarcity is driving prices up.
@Trill
I think some of this is just a long-term result of kids coming into the league throwing 97+ mph that either have already had some sort of arm related surgery or needing by the time they’re 30.
Also, guys that might have been redeemable as SP but needed more time to develop are often converted into RP with gas that can dominate more quickly out the pen. Out the pen, a team can start to receive since ROI during yes their limited cost controlled years. Joba Chamberlain was a perfect example. He was sooooo good out the box that he was rushed to the majors. He was drafted in 2007, blew thru every minor league level the same year (135k/88 innings), and was called up to fill a need in the pen and dominated (0.38 ERA, .075 WHIP in 22 innings and 35ks). He one good year in the own going back and forth between the rotation and the pen, but as soon as he struggled he was moved back to the pen at age 24 when most other pitchers are just making their debut. That’s why the Yankees go so hard after hard throwing amateurs because that’s the most valued commodity in baseball. If you get lucky you get a Paul Skenes, if not so lucky then you get a hard throwing back and of rotation guy like Mitch Keller or a dominant middle reliever like Michael Kopech or they become excellent trade bait. The Yanks are excellent when it comes to the bullpen and trade bait and sometimes even develop some and get some high-end value from their performances like Severino and Gil.
All this makes for a feeding frenzy every year high-end SP is thin. Teams are valuing throwers over pitchers and teams think development ends once they reach the major league level. Once that clock starts, teams want to see instant dividends, and if the bang isn’t evident, then they start to think about getting what they can get before FA.
Atlanta makes a lot of sense
Yankees should take a flyer if his price comes down to reality.
ope, there goes gravity, ope there goes Scherz-y….
Giants too if they don’t trade for Castillo or Lopez. Or can’t sign Flaherty.
@Roob – Atlanta does make a lot of sense. He can replace 40 year old Charlie Morton & his $20M per year salary.
Too rich for the Padres blood.
Pads are looking to trade Cease in a salary dump in which they will market to fans as “salary relief”.
Fans will celebrate the “salary relief” with the assumption there will be a rearranging of funds to pursue a key FA.
Nope, not happening, just profit.
Rotation on opening day:
King(unless he’s traded for “salary relief”)
Darvish
Waldron
Vasquez
Minor league call up or Hoeing/
Morejon hype because they are “cost efficient” options
That’s it Padres fans. That is your opening day rotation.
“No Soup For You” Padres fans.
The team is operating as if the window has closed.
A bunch of the Blindly Faithful get annoyed by your negativity. I’m just happy that you’ve gotten over those ludicrous ‘manipulation of the baseballs’ conspiracy theories. Now we can have actual conversations with you! So…
Where do you think Tatis will end up?
Tatis gets traded and half the fan base will walk but sure go ahead and trade him in another salary dump.
Padres have handed out huge contract after huge contract.
@Patriot another “Budget Warrior”? Out to battle for the bottom line?
You spend money and you win. Under Peter Seidler the Padres proved they were committed to winning.
optimistic…..we get something done like this.
Rotation:
Cease
King
Scherzer
Darvish
Roki
Pen:
Suarez
Adam
Estrada
Peralta
Matsui
Morejon
Vasquez
Nunez
Id put that up against the Blue Empire all day. Go Pads!
I’d take that all day!
@Trill
I think that would be a poor use of payroll. The Yanks appear as if they are hesitant to go over the most severe line of the lux tax penalty threshold. To decide to go over that to sign Scherzer when they have 6 capable SP already, but areas where they could stand improvement such as the infield and bullpen seems reckless and stupid.
The Yankees paying Scherzer $20M at this point is bonkers. And he’s not getting that with any team.
@YBC – Don’t be so sure about that. Atlanta paid a 40 year old Charlie Morton $20M last season to pitch to an ERA in the mid 4’s. If Scherzer’s medicals come back clean, a team could overlook his 2024 health problems as a one-time issue and offer him a contract similar to Morton’s.
At the very least, Scherzer will get a $10M guaranteed base salary with incentives that can raise the total value of his deal to $20M+. Something like this:
$2M for reaching 110 innings pitched
$2M for reaching 120 innings pitched
$2M for reaching 130 innings pitched
$2M for reaching 140 innings pitched
$2M for reaching 150 innings pitched
$1M for 20 or more starts
$1M for 25 or more starts
Total potential payout = $22M
Some desperately optimistic gem will sign him for more than this.
I would never go near him
.didn’t ge rebuff the thought of wearing the pinstripes years ago?
They’re already at a 110% tax rate. He may not even be an upgrade over Stroman who doesn’t have a rotation spot.
I know they won’t sign him, but I wish the A’s would sign him.
It’s still possible. With his age, his salary will be lower. A’s still have some room to meet the 105 MM payroll.
A’s are exactly the team that should do it. Give the fans a little hope. Satisfy mlb by spending that revenue money. Keep it to a 1 year deal and pray that he had done trade value at the deadline and try to acquire a prospect in return.
Scherzer would have to want to sign with the A’s, which seems highly unlikely.
@gbs
Yes, I’m sure he has a pecking order, but what teams can give him a high- level of likeness to make the playoffs AND a rotation spot and pay the price he might want? Will he take much less for the chance to play meaningful innings in October, or would he go with the most money and the longest leash for him to rebuild his value?
Scherzer to West Sac let’s goooo!
I’m still salty that he caused the last work stoppage by putting himself above the MLBPA’s wishes.
One year deal with the Tigers seems to make some sense.
I don’t think he had a great time in Detroit
I would prefer a Washington reunion where he can mentor Mackenzie gore
But Baltimore and oakla-uhh SACRAMENTO, and resigning in Texas makes sense
sad tormented: Nobody on here really knows how he feels about his time in Detroit.
The team that offers whatever he considers the best deal is what makes sense.
Sure sign both Scherzer and JV, they can take turns going on the injured list.
I want him to sign with the Cardinals. It would give fans a reason to show up and that’s been a problem the last couple years. Trade Arenado and either Mikolas or Matz sign Scherzer and Moncada. The team probably won’t be good enough but it would have a chance and if it isn’t then trade them at the deadline along with Helsley and Fedde.
Starters though especially ones in their 40s aren’t gonna draw crowds for the other 80-90% of games.
90%??
Starters play every 5 games.
Are you from St Louis? I am and so is he. I promise you fans would show up to see him.
older starters get injured and miss starts
If he gets hurt then he gets hurt. Mikolas or Matz could get hurt too. If that happens so be it.
What high school did he go to?
Just kidding. Proof I’m from St. Louis.
@yeah
no one in their right mind would sign but safe if the risks of injury, etc. That’s baked into the scenario.
Baltimore FO will pass. 2023 was magical in great part because the SP staff that broke from ST camp was there all season (outside of Wells) and still there in October. In 2024, SP injuries did them in.
A mix of talent and good health of a rotation are the keys to a successful season . Older guys like Scherzer are too risky.
I’m still bummed about last season. That team could have been so much better with Bautista, Bradish, Means, and Wells. That doesn’t even count the loss of position players in the second half
Somebody said “80-90%,” referring to games he won’t start. I’m suggesting that range is accurate when you account for missing starts due to injury, rest, and fatigue.
He is from St. Louis!
Signing Moncada would be interesting.
I bet he would sign in St Louis for a reasonable price. He and Sonny would make for a fun 1-2 punch and take some weight off the younger guys. Anything can happen in on year, why not give a reason for the franchise to do more “mystery size jersey nights”
Yeah give the fans something. Obviously a good team is the first choice but if that doesn’t happen this is something.
I don’t disagree with the appeal, it stinks as a fan he wasn’t signed in 2015. just whether he’d increase attendance all that much when he isn’t pitching or is hurt.
Back in 2015 the Cardinals had the best pitching staff in baseball. They didn’t need him. Obviously with hindsight they should have signed him but I will repeat best pitching staff in baseball.
BITA: Arenado, Mikolas, and Matz have zero to negative trade value. That’s why they haven’t been traded and it’s highly unlikely to happen.
You can trade a player with negative trade value. It’s not that difficult.
BITA: Then why hasn’t it happened yet? Probably because nobody wants the contracts.
Cardinals have 3 third basemen now, Arrenado, Walker, and Gorman. That why they want to trade Nolan. Moncada would make it 4.
Walker will never play 3b in the big leagues. Never. And as I said trade Arenado then sign Moncada. Gorman might be best at 1b. He’s going to get playing time at 3b, 1b and probably 2b too. Heck Gormans best position might be DH.
I hope you’re not expecting much from Moncada.
No chance he signs with St Lou. They are trying to cut salaries, not add them.
The Cardinals have already cut salary by not bringing back their free agents. The other rumors were amplified by this site because it’s run by Cubs fans.
This rhetoric that this site is run by all Cubs fans is a joke. Yes the creator Tim Dierkes is from Chicago and a Cubs fan but most of the other writers on here are not. Say what you want about this site but I would much rather read MLBTR then half the stuff BR report or guys like Jim Bowden peddle.
The owner of the site and Nick Deeds are both Cubs fans. And they used to employ other Cubs fans in the past. It’s the truth not an opinion.
I like the site. That’s why I visit it so often. But it’s run by Cubs fans.
Doubt he would even consider a reunion with Detroit.
Since they signed Alex Cobb for about his level of a deal – probably without a query to Max – Detroit certainly demonstrated their total disinterest.
But I would be at least a little surprised if they feel the same way towards Verlander.
I’m still feeling Phillies because of all the money that’s not their responsibility and flexibility to help patch the unknowns. He also has some strong relationships with some of the players and Dombrowski. . A good culture fit. And he wants to win. And the energy of that fan base is made for Max.
All what money? Scherzer doesn’t have anyone paying him for 2025 yet.
@Bill – I believe the Nationals are paying Scherzer through 2030 or something like that. They deferred a sizable amount of his contract. So he is getting paid no matter if he signs a new contract or not.
Your first sentence makses no sense.
Since Jed whiffed on Buehler Hoffman might be an intriguing arm to bring in. They could let him start in ST and then if they needed him he could be a Plan B to go with Hodge as a Closer. I’d still prefer plan A in Tanner Scott but obviously Jed-a-Phobia must still reign for high leverage relievers.
Retire in DC and call it good
Rockies 100% think they’re contending for a playoff spot
I wonder if the Astros don’t like Verlander’s asking price would they pivot to Scherzer, or would they consider both if the financials are right
I wouldn’t pay either of them more than 10 maybe throw in some innings and wins kickers.
Do you really not know that incentives for wins are not allowed?
No I didn’t know that. I don’t know all the details about the baseball business. I know what I know and learn as I go.
I have no real plans to ever be in a position to need to know everything. People who need to know these types of things will take care of that kind of business. Speaking philosophical on knowing.
However, I think innings pitched and starts may be allowed. Frankly that is the only way any team should look at some of these older pitchers.
Wins starts K’s IPs, it’s similar in a way, simplify to IPs works for me. If you ain’t gettin’ dem wins and you ain’t gettin’ dem K’s you ain’t gettin’ dem innings, ya her me?
Can’t have performance bonuses like wins, just volume like starts or IP.
Well you can in Fantasy Baseball Simulator 3000, and that’s where my team, the Baltic Sea Photoplankton are playing this season. We won’t go above 10 for JV or Scherzer.
I have a hard time seeing he would come back to the Mets…
Not happening…
Wouldn’t bother me at all. We got good value letting him go, and he might like a shot at a longer ride than 2022. If he is done, then let someone else step in. We have depth, but he could give us a decent #3 or #4 if he has something good left.
I want him back so we can reprise 2023. Ya know, some sticky stuff drama, some nuanced trade demand and then a solid prospect for him in July. Boom!
If it happens that way, none of us Mets fans will be pleased with 2025. I certainly wouldn’t be.
Yup, completely agree. Max was great in 2022, finishing with the lowest ERA of his career (though he was ~17 IP short of qualifying), but Mets’ fans have a bad taste in their mouths because his one truly awful start came in Game 1 of the Wild Card series, when he was clearly pitching through pain/injury. He gritted through pain in 2023, and missed most of 2024, but his swinging strike rate actually went up (the article says 14.6%, but Pitcher List says 16%, and their data tends to be the most accurate—either rate is outstanding). He’s obviously not the same pitcher he was, but he still has outstanding command of a wide arsenal, and the slider is still elite. Max is also boys with Soto from their Nats days. Not sure if people remember, but back in 2021, Soto flew out to LA just to cheer on Max and Trea Turner in the Wild Card Game, after they’d been traded to the Dodgers at the deadline.
The Mets wouldn’t need him to throw 160+ innings; even 90-100 innings of stable, mid-3s ERA ball would really help, because that’s fewer innings going to the likes of Paul Blackburn and Griffin Canning, who have lower ceilings AND lower floors. He could also be helpful to guys like Clay Holmes—who’s making the transition back to starting, Tylor Megill—who’s at a make it-or-break it point in his career (and whom Max helped in 2022), and prospects like Brandon Sproat, Nolan McLean, and Jonah Tong, all of whom will likely spend time in big league camp in the spring.
A lot of good points, Idli. Thank you. I agree.
Nope. Mets fans don’t want him. Besides game 1 of Wild Card he also lost first game of Braves series in late season where Mets lost division lead. He turned up short in his two most important games in a Mets uniform. Hard pass on Scherzer.
I understand, but that’s emotion, not analysis. A good front office doesn’t make decisions based on two starts, especially given the player’s health circumstances at the time. (A good front office probably shouldn’t make personnel decisions based on what fans want, either.) I don’t think the Mets are going to sign him anyway, so this is likely all moot, but Max is one of the best available FA starters (a low bar, admittedly), and he doesn’t require a long-term deal or cost draft picks. But I guess the Mets are comfortable with their rotation options, think they can swing a trade (whether in the offseason or mid-year), and/or expect a prospect like Brandon Sproat to emerge. Maybe they’ll take a flyer on someone like Spencer Turnbull, if the price is right. (And I assume they’ll wisely avoid overpaying for a reliever like Tanner Scott.)
So you’re going to stick Max in the pen until they need his 4.25 ERA? (mid-3s? You’ve got to be kidding.)
And for at best a trivial, less reliable upgrade you’re going to spend $20m for that half a win, best case?
Context is Everything. It’s not as if the Mets have anything like a gaping hole after their front five, and Scherzer does little to improve the #6 slot.
Forget it. Forget his history with the team. He’s all wrong for these Mets.
Admittedly, I wasn’t thinking about $20mm, but if Alex Cobb can get $15mm, then I suppose $20mm isn’t a ridiculous ask. But stick him in the pen? Where did I say that? The reason I said ~100 innings is because I expect Max to miss some time, but if he can stay mostly healthy and pitch 160+ innings, great. I also disagree that he’s going to run a 4.25 ERA, as do the projections (Montas, on the other hand…). His biggest risk is health, not performance. If he’s healthy, he should be able to put up an ERA in the 3.60-3.80 range. His swinging strike rate was still elite last year, and he still has excellent command, which NONE of the Mets’ starters have. He also has the arsenal and experience to face a lineup a third time through. Several of the Mets’ starters don’t, which puts a ton of pressure on the bullpen, which itself remains unfinished. I assume they’ll run a six-man rotation, or at least employ a sixth starter pretty frequently. I didn’t say or imply that they had a “gaping hole,” but how many innings can they reasonably expect from Senga and Clay Holmes? How is Manaea going to bounce back after a career high in innings (200.2 IP including the postseason), especially given his age, the fact that he was clearly gassed at the end, and that he changed his arm slot midseason? Who is the real David Peterson? They also overpaid for Frankie Montas, who I believe is likelier to produce a mid-4s ERA than Scherzer, as I alluded to (I’ve never been a Montas guy, and I felt there were better pitchers on the market). His BEST case scenario is being a (very) poor man’s Luis Severino, who himself was almost exactly league average (99 ERA-, 104 FIP-). Scherzer is also a huge upgrade over Blackburn and Canning, who are basically just this year’s Adrian Housers. Megill could be better than all three, if he can put it all together, but he might end up in the bullpen. Setting Scherzer aside, this is a pretty questionable rotation for a team that presumably has championship aspirations.
CLE could be a dark horse for Scherzer at first glance, but his ask will have to come down from $20M because the FO only gives contracts to players most likely to outperform the contract. This is why Gimenez was traded. Can he be counted on for 25 starts this year? Probably not. The highest I see them going is about $14M as a bridge to Bieber’s return, and that’s only if the brass have been drinking too much.
@solaris602 The Gimenez trade was ridiculous. By bWAR he put up 90% of Soto’s value in 2022-2024—yes, platinum glove fielding counts—and he had a 7-win season in 2022.
AG is also signed to an extremely team-friendly contract that only carries through his age 30 season, with a team option in 2030. 16.7 wins in three years, his deal is 20m per for the next five years, and the team can walk away the 6th year if he’s unaccountably not worth keeping. And there’s no long decline phase of the contract where you have to spend 5 years watching him haul himself out to 2nd base.
If Flaherty is going to require more than 4 guaranteed years, Scherzer would be all right as a 1 year gamble for the Orioles to try to catch lightning in a bottle.
It wouldn’t be an ideal outcome for the offseason, at least relative to initial hopes and expectations, but Scherzer and Sugano would defintely add a lot of experience and gravitas to the Orioles pitching staff.
recced’ for gravitas.
Gravitas is nice, but gravy tots are delicious.
The Orioles need reliability not a lottery ticket.
Every single pitcher is an injury away. O’s need upside and Scherzer has as much as anyone.
Counting on him and Sugano could be great but it could also tank the Orioles season. They are too good to be hoping and praying they need more of a sure thing. And a lefty they need a lefty
Dodgers won a WS without a lefty starter. Overblown. Povich and Rogers could become a decent back end lefty starter anyhow.
The Orioles are not the Dodgers
Currently, there are no sure thing pitchers.
The Dodgers are not the Orioles.
Unfortunately for the Orioles
I already said that it wouldn’t be the ideal outcome, but it would be a reasonably acceptable outcome for me in light of how the rest of the offseason has played out.
Scherzer, Eflin, Grayrod, Sugano and Kremer is a solid enough opening day rotation, and there is good depth behind the starting 5 if (when) it is needed. If further reinforcements are still needed, there is always the trade deadline, plus Bradish and/or Wells should be back from their TJS’s sometime in the second half.
It’s a waste. Why pay Flaherty money for next year so you can keep your fingers crossed and hope Max gives you 90 innings with more decline in his ERA, an excellent bet to be worse than 4.00?
2023-24 4.29 FIP. 1.6 HR/9. It’s over.
Max to the Nats!
Perfect fit for the O’s and their young staff. Great clubhouse guy too.
That’s funny.
Scherzer on a minimum year deal for back-end rotation work would be fine. Either he loves the game so much or he desperate for cash. Prolly the former….
Really hate that the Cardinals are going to talk themselves out of this. Used to be that when Mo had an opportunity to upgrade the rotation with a local hero on a one-year deal, he’d chomp at the bit.
A dude at work tried to argue that Mad Max wasn’t a HoFER UNLESS he hit closer to 300 wins. All I could do was laugh.
I’d be pretty surprised if he ever saw the second ballot.
3 Cy Youngs, 1 2nd, 2 3rds, 2 5th place finishes.
4.61 Cy Young shares, 5th all-time.
Forget the rest of his resume. THAT’s not a Hall of Famer??
—I’d put him in just based on his 2013 through 2022 seasons.
Have you ever seen a guy with different color eyes in the HOF? Didn’t think so….
Since the Oracle is a pitcher friendly park and Posey could need some star power, SF could be a match for Mad Max and Verlander. It isn’t as if the Giants rotation doesn’t have question marks. The last wild card would be achievable. Too bad Marichal is too old though.
Surprised the author didn’t reference the Giants…others have seen and mentioned the fit. Is your name/pseudonym a subtle reference to old pitchers still having something left in the tank?
The Giants?? Max is 40
He ain’t signing w/ a loser Giants team. Haha. He’s gonna want an opportunity for playoff baseball
SF Giants have only finished the regular season w/ a winning record One time since 2016
He’ll sign where he gets the best deal knowing that come the trade deadline he could be somewhere competitive
Finishing with Wash or Detroit would be a good storybook finale
Let Wash have him I’d prefer the storybook ending to be with Verlander.
Verlander looked more washed up. I’d rather scherzer right now.
Either one or both would be storybook. But do either have anything left?
I always envisioned a Smoltz-like finish for JV, closing for a while. But JV is going for 300 and wouldn’t want to close.
JV should consider Det if there’s an interest, as a starter or as a bulk reliever. Bulk-relieving would be an easier path to the 5th inning for a decision and 300 W’s. Plus, if the opener sucks on a JV day, JV could be bumped to the next game.
Do nats (not expo) have any HOFers or will he be first?
Max best years were probably in DC. Other Nats that will be locks for the hall include Harper and Soto but they may not remember being in DC much. Trea Turner as well but he is a longer shot.
Stras and Rendon had a chance when they signed their mega deals but none now.
I would take Scherzer or Verlander for 1-2 before I shelled out 3-5 years of Jack Flaherty. Please Baltimore!! Flaherty looked like the same old Jack at the end of 24.
Agreed. Rather 1 year of Max instead of 3-4 of Flaherty. Still wouldnt feel like we soldified the rotation enough though.
Didn’t his last contract call for him getting deferred money? Like, I think if he never pitches another inning, he is still getting paid $15M-$20M per season for the next 7 years. Maybe because of that, he will be willing to sign this year for less?
He could help a lot of teams and young staffs to learn about competing. Love to see the Angels include him and a few other additions (Santander, Kim, Moncada, vet reliever) to really head into an improvement drive. Dreaming, I know.
Let him come back to the Mets at close to minimum to make up for all the money they wasted on him in his first contract.
@Bill What are you yapping about? 2022-2023 he put up 8.5 bWAR, 300 innings with a 3.05 ERA, and a 133 ERA+. Do that 9 more times, they put you in the HOF.
Hall of Fame-caliber rate stats, about 1/6 of a season short, each year.
Why do people with no idea what they’re talking about insist on commenting?
Dodgers for 45M deferred over 29 years with $2M this year. Plus move Roberts to the FO and sign Skip Shumaker as the manager or Justin Turner.
Trolling I take it.
It doesn’t make any sense for a contender to put him in their rotation. He is too fragile. He might make a good set up man in a bullpen.
@Bennie agree, same for JV
If there’s a contender where the dropoff after their first four (or first five, if it’s a fragile bunch) is steep, that’s who might want to take a risk.
The suggested 20m in the article, though, is absurd. You can’t guarantee $20m to a 40 year old who might make five ugly starts for you. It would need to be heavily incentives based.
His FIP was 4.18 in 2024. His HR/9 the last two seasons is 1.6/9. That’s not a guy you spend 1/20m on.
as much as I do like… LIKE… Scherzer… there’s, in MY OPINION, no way he should be getting 20m for a season. he’s too high a risk. now…. a year at, say, 12m, and then level kickers… maybe, maxed out at 16m. dude just takes 43m in 3 years… he can take a flier lol
As a Braves fan no thanks on Max. He is a shell of the pitcher he used to be and a cheat. No thanks!
I honestly feel he or Verlander will end up on the Giants
I’d throw up in my mouth a little bit if Max signed with the Giants.
Would much prefer young guys taking those innings.
A team is better off to trade for Montgomery than sign Scherzer. Arizona eats some of the contract too.
The Snakes are not trading Monty after signing Burnes.
@PutPeteinthehall For 1/22m Montgomery, just a year removed from being a very solid #2 if not a #1B starter, will bring back a useful prospect (say, the Mets #12 prospect) even if no salary is picked up by AZ.
2021-2023 3.48 ERA, 175 IP / season, 120 ERA+,
Do that 6 more times and they probably put you in the Hall of Fame.
—I agree, by the way. Make Pete go stand in the hall until he gets a clue.
If he had any class he would take minimum salary for the right team for his success and winning a WS
He has enough money for a thousand families to live like kings so money should be the last criteria used
Well maybe at 40 years old the idea of putting his body through another grueling season of baseball for minimum salary. Alex Cobb got 15MM. Boyd got 2/29MM based off 8 starts. I think the market is pretty established a veteran back end starter. To expect him to take less money because he has can is stupid.
Very.
He may be willing to sign for a couple million less to go to a contender because that’s what he wants to do. But he’ll earn a substantial salary
Any team that has yet to spend any money but have a young staff full of guys that throw gas should look to bring Scherzer in on a 1 year deal. He could be a mentor or an example for the kids.
Pittsburgh
Mariners
Reds
Nats
Royals
Doubt he wants to play for any of those besides the Royals unless he has a relationship with Tito.
That’s what pitching coaches are for, on 0.5% of his salary. .
I will never forget how when the Mets traded Verlander how Scherzer threw the rest of the team under the bus. Alonso was snowed by him. I hope he realized that all Scherzer was concerned about was the New York Max and not the New York Mets. When he was in NY there I never saw anyone be more articulate about why he had a bad outing. He had a flair for making failure sound like winning. I don’t think Steve Cohen will ever give a big contract to a pitcher over 34 or 35 ever again. He learned his lesson!
Hardly. Scherzer was elite his first year with the Mets, and very good in the overall in 2023.
2024 is just what you expect when you give a 3-year contract to and elderly arm.
C’mon—no one thought Scherzer was giving the Mets 15 bWAR for his $130m deal.
I was actually hoping for 12. 6,3,and 3. It was highly unlikely, but it could have went that way. But you are absolutely right about that last season. That year is the cherry on top of the ice cream. He’ll still get 12-17 million this year in my mind..
How close are the Yankees to the next luxury tax tier with their current roster make up?
Follow up question: What is going on with Verlander? Is he trying to get a contract, is he doing that modern version of retiring where he isn’t actively trying to get signed but he isn’t formally declaring he’s done playing?
Jomboy talked about it last week when they signed Goldschmidt, between 5 and 10 million from the Cohen tax bracket if I remember correctly.
Thanks. So they do not have the money for anybody like Scherzer or Verlander unless they shed someone else entirely, like Stroman, which ain’t gonna happen.
My guess is Giants or cubs.. 13-16 mil plus incentives to top around 20 if they all hit.
The man will get paid, if for no other reason beyond the contracts of pitchers like Cobb, and because someone will be convinced he has 20-25 good starts in him. The problem with a $20M ask only a few teams can take the chance of a repeat of 2024.
Cobb is a better bet to do more in 2025 than Scherzer, and Cobb’s only getting 1/15m
1/8m for Scherzer’s enough. Call it 1/6m with incentives.
40 year olds with a terrible health record the previous year? No thanks.
He’s 40, he’s done. Someone will sign him but he’ll go on the shelf again, and it will be misspent dollars. Father Time catches up with everyone. The body can only take so much, especially a pitchers arm.
Which makes what Jamie Moyer and Nolan Ryan did, even more remarkable.
I’d take him on the Yankees with a 6 man rotation. Keep him healthy for the playoffs
This is my thinking. 6 man rotation. A few spot starters and openers. Scherzer gets in the reps to get himself as sharp as possible by the end of the season without burning out, he gives it his all, everything he has left as a player, in the post season. He’s a hero. He further cements himself as a legend and a pitcher in a class unto himself- walks away with a ring.
The playoffs? If he’s one of your three bet starters in October, you’re already out of the postseason. 4.18 FIP in 2024. It’s over.
I’d like to see the As land him. It will be a nice treat for their new fans.
Maybe “your RS” should sign him, Fisher
I wouldn’t take him even if his contract allowed me to use a promo code for 25% off.
I think Max has more in the tank than Verlander, but that’s only because Verlander is below the Empty line, Max is at the Empty line. They both are spent.
Scherzer & Verlander are the last few of a dying breed. Every time they take the mound, they both go out there with the intention of pitching a complete game. That mentality is more or less gone with the current generation of pitchers. Nowadays, pitchers are content going 5-6 innings and turning it over the bullpen. (Best example is Blake Snell). There are a few younger ‘horses’ left like Zach Wheeler & Logan Webb who like to go deeper into games, but for the most part, todays starters don’t even think about throwing a complete game, let alone 7 innings.
Signing either of these pitchers (Scherzer or Verlander) on a one year deal could be a very shrewd move by a team hoping to contend. They are not only (former?) great pitchers, but they are great coaches as well and can really help a younger staff develop into better all around pitchers. I wouldn’t be upset if either one ended up in Boston for 2025, but it seems unlikely given their staff is 6-7 pitchers deep already, with some health question marks of course.
No they don’t. Both know full well they’re not pitching complete games.
Scherzer pitched 2 CGs since 2018, none since the end of 2021.
Scherzer is a complete bust. Almost every name that pops up a Yankee fan claims that person would be good for them. Scherzer is WASHED UP. He is a total bust. Has been that way for 2 yrs. He may toss a few games and then he will be done for the year. When do teams learn about these old pitchers? When the Mets unloaded Scherzer and let Degrom go, they knew both would be payroll bandits for Texas. I would think at this point Texas would never go after another Verlander, Scherzer or Degrom. Do these temas look at past history stats and they are going to see that kind of production? Verlander was a miracle lasting as long as he did. That guy also wants big money.
Hardly. He was a 3 WAR pitcher in 2023, going 13-6 in 150 IP with a 3.77 ERA. What’s wrong with you?
Dorothy thinks at the very least Scherzer would be a good coach while on the teanm as well. Who says? He has never seemed to be the coaching type. Regardless, for 12-15 million or more that is a stiff price to pay for a guy who seems to be interested only in himself.
Exactly. That’s what pitching coaches are for, or for veterans who sign for 1/2m to serve primarily as mentors on very young teams.
You don’t sign a guy wanting 1/20m because ‘he’s good with young players,’ even if that happens to be the case.
I predict he’ll be a brave on a 1 year 22 mil contract
Seems like a good play for a team like CHW or MIA or another with just an outside shot at a WC spot, like TOR or PIT or CIN. Mentor your younger pitchers through spring training and the first half, land a decent prospect if he’s healthy in July and the club isn’t in the race. If you contend and he’s healthy, you have a playoff game starter. I think he lands in TOR or SF.
The Angels should be all in on Sherzer. He may be way past his prime but he still bring credibility to any starting staff.
A 1-year 20mil deal is not out of reach.
Scherzer is currently at 216 career wins. At 41 years old in July, I don’t know if he’ll pitch long enough to reach 250