With a need for starting pitching, the Los Angeles Dodgers are believed to have interest in re-signing Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman acknowledged a focus would be on the team’s rotation in free agency, and thus far L.A. has addressed that by signing Andrew Heaney to a one-year contract.
Neither Kershaw or Scherzer appear to be in a rush to sign despite a looming lockout once the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expires at 8:59 p.m. PT on Wednesday, Dec. 1.
In Kershaw’s case, the most conceivable options are re-signing with the Dodgers, joining his hometown Texas Rangers, or potentially retiring if a left flexor tendon injury proves to be problematic.
Meanwhile, Scherzer also is said to have some interest in a homecoming, which the St. Louis Cardinals share as well, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
The interest in Max Scherzer is mutual, so it becomes a question of cost, length of commitment and whether the Cardinals can outbid other suitors.
Although Scherzer signing with the Cardinals would take the Missouri native home, it would come as a bit of a surprise. Agent Scott Boras recently indicated the future Hall of Famer was focused on playing for a World Series contender more so than geography of a team.
The Cardinals did earn a postseason berth to face the Dodgers in the Wild Card Game this year, but needed a historic stretch get to that point. St. Louis also is entering the 2022 season with a new manager in Oliver Marmol.
What type of contract will Scherzer sign?
Despite being 37 years old and coming off a season in which he couldn’t recover from pitching on short rest in the playoffs, Scherzer has been a model of consistency and durability.
That could amount to signing a three-year contract that would include a record average annual value (AAV) for a pitcher.
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