The average salary of $43.33 million is 20% more than the previous mark. This is the median amount that Gerrit Cole, a $36 million Yankees pitcher, is earning in his nine-year, $324 million contract with New York.
Scherzer could opt out of the 2023 season and become a free agent again. Scherzer is also subject to a no-trade clause, which requires his approval for any deal. Additionally, the agreement includes bonus payments.
Scherzer resides in West Palm Beach, Florida. It is about an hour drive from Port St. Lucie’s Mets spring training facility. Scherzer was scheduled to undergo a physical Monday in order to complete the deal.
The 37-year-old right-hander, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, and eight-time All-Star was 15-4 last season with a 2.46 ERA for the Washington Nationals (who acquired him July 30). In the final season of his seven-year, $210 million contract, he struck out 236 batters and walked 36. His fastball averaged 94.4 mph in the innings. The $105 million deferred money payment was due in 2022-28.
He is 190-97 and has a 3.16 ERA over 14 major league seasons, including Arizona (2008-09), Detroit (2010)-14, Washington (2010-14), and the Dodgers. He has distinct eyes: blue eyes on the right and brown eyes on the left. This condition is known as Heterochromia iridis.
Scherzer was a hardworking hero who helped the Nationals win their 2019 World Series title. He won the AL Cy Young in 2013, and the NL Cy Youngs in 2016, 2017 and 2017. He was third in the voting this year, behind Corbin Burnes from Milwaukee and Zack Wheeler from Philadelphia.
He’s thrown a pair no-hitters in 2015 against Pittsburgh, and at the Mets.
Scherzer gets $43,333,333 annually. His career earnings will rise to more than $370million with the Mets deal.
Jacob deGrom (two-time Cy Young Award winner) will be his manager. He didn’t pitch on July 7, due to right forearm tightness. Club control also sees Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker and Taijuan Wade return.
Noah Syndergaard returned from Tommy John surgery and signed a one-year, $21 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Steven Matz, a left-hander with the St. Louis Cardinals, was not to be signed by the Mets, his $44 million four-year contract was due to be completed Monday.
New York has also pending deals for center fielder Starling Marte ($78million for four years), outfielder/firstbaseman Mark Canha, and Eduardo Escobar. All of these are contingent upon successful physicals.
On Aug. 31, the Mets had the third-highest baseball payroll at $196m, just behind the Dodgers ($261 millions) and Yankees ($204million). They may be the most expensive team after their first offseason. Steven Cohen bought the Mets in November 2020 from the Wilpons and Katz families in an agreement that valued them at a baseball-record 2.42 billion.
Scherzer, a member the eight-player executive subcommittee of the union, is expected to lock out baseball when the collective bargaining agreement expires Wednesday evening.
Scott Boras, an agent, negotiated his agreement.
