Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Associated Press
WASHINGTON
Sure seems as if Max Scherzer and his wife now will be able to afford to buy themselves at least one of those nonstick baking sheets they were hoping to receive as a wedding gift.
Or even a few million of ‘em.
The 2013 AL Cy Young Award winner will become the highest-paid right-handed pitcher in major league history after agreeing to a $210 million, seven-year contract with the Washington Nationals that includes a record $50 million signing bonus.
A person familiar with the negotiations outlined the terms to The Associated Press on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn’t been announced. It creates a formidable rotation for the Nationals — who could try to boost the rest of their roster by trading one of their other starters.
Washington is now the 4-1 favorite to win the World Series, down from 6-1 odds when the offseason started.
Scherzer’s signing bonus tops the previous high of $30 million for any player, given by the Cubs to pitcher Jon Lester this offseason. Scherzer plans to establish residency in Florida, which would shield his signing bonus from D.C. income tax, the person familiar with the negotiations said.
The person said the pitcher is scheduled to take a physical Tuesday, one of the steps needed for the deal to be finalized.
Scherzer, who spent the past five seasons with the Detroit Tigers before becoming a free agent, will receive the money from the Nationals spread out over 14 years, which lowers its present-day value.
Still, Scherzer did quite well for himself. Indeed, he and his bride — they were married in November 2013 — won’t have to depend on their friends to finish filling the requests on their bridal registry at Crate & Barrel, including the pair of $19.95 baking sheets that no one gave them.
The 30-year-old right-hander’s contract is the second-largest for a pitcher, behind only Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw’s $215 million, seven-year deal that runs from 2014-20.