Max to NYM: 3/$130M, per report

Max Scherzer free agent rumors have abounded, and the New York Mets are apparently the winning bidder, reportedly getting Scherzer for 3 years, $130 million, per reports.

Scherzer, 37, finished third in the National League Cy Young balloting this season, and has finished in the top five in the last eight full seasons, including top three finishes the last five years and while winning the award in 2013, 2016 and 2017.

Scherzer has been one of the rare players who has gotten better in his 30s, having put up a 5.9 bWAR in 2021 in 179.1 IP in 30 starts between the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Since signing with the Nats prior to the 2015 season, Scherzer has accumulated 42.3 bWAR while putting up a 2.75 ERA and a 2.87 FIP in 1297.1 IP over 200 starts. During that time he has led the league in starts twice, complete games three times, innings twice, and strikeouts three times.

This is a whole lot of money for Scherzer’s age 37-39 seasons, but Scherzer has continued to be great, and the Mets now have a legitimate veteran ace to front their rotation.

With the Mets continuing to look at other moves, meanwhile, I am sitting here continuing to idly speculate as to whether they might look to unload Robinson Cano and the $40.5 million they owe him over the next two seasons by attaching prospects and/or young major leaguers to him, and if they are looking to do so, whether the Rangers might get involved.

It has also been speculated that the resolution of the Scherzer deal, which the Los Angeles Dodgers were also involved in, will result in a Corey Seager deal coming now — the Dodgers are also in on Seager, though the extent was reportedly dependent in part on whether they were having to allocate payroll to Scherzer. Scott Boras represents both Scherzer and Seager.

UPDATE — Scherzer has an opt out after year two.