The New York Mets are close to landing one of the biggest free agents on the market, and they are seemingly willing to make him the highest-paid player in Major League Baseball to make it happen.
The Mets are finalizing a contract with pitcher Max Scherzer, as SNY’s Andy Martino first reported. According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network and others, the deal is worth $130 million over three seasons.
That would mean the Mets would be paying Scherzer $43 million per year, which is more than any other player in baseball from an average annual value standpoint. Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom is set to earn $36 million in 2022, which was previously tied with New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole for the highest pitcher’s salary.
Scherzer’s deal would also have a significantly higher AAV than Mike Trout’s. The slugger will make $37 million with the Los Angeles Angels next season.
Scherzer pitched at a Cy Young level last season and was said to be seeking a four-year deal. Considering he is 37, it would make sense if the Mets preferred to give him a higher salary over three years rather than adding an additional year onto the deal.
Though he had some issues with arm fatigue in the playoffs, Scherzer went 15-4 with a 2.46 ERA last season. He was 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA after being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Mets have already signed several other big-name free agents. They become a clear World Series contender if they add Scherzer to pair with deGrom at the top of their rotation.
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