MLB
Scherzer, Mets finalize $130M, 3-year deal
Mets owner Steve Cohen pledged to give it his all to bring the World Series back to New York.
Max Scherzer, Queens’ newest ace, enters the fray.
The Mets and the three-time Cy Young Award winner agreed to a $130 million, three-year contract on Wednesday, shattering baseball’s record for highest average pay and giving New York’s rotation a historically dominant 1-2 punch with Jacob deGrom.
Scherzer, 37, will earn $43.33 million per year, up 20% from the previous high of $36 million per year, which Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole is averaging in his $324 million, nine-year deal inked ahead to the 2020 season. After the 2023 season, Scherzer has the option to opt out and become a free agent once more.
Last season, the eight-time All-Star went 15-4 with a 2.46 ERA for the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers, whom he joined on July 30. After May 30, he didn’t lose a game and was particularly strong in his first nine starts with the Dodgers, going 7-0 with a 0.78 ERA.