Mets, pitcher Max Scherzer agree to MLB record $130M contract

Max Scherzer (pictured), who spent last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, will join Jacob deGrom atop the New York Mets starting rotation in 2022. File Photo by George Nikitin/UPI Ace pitcher Max Scherzer, who agreed to join the New York Mets on Monday, now owns the richest contract in MLB history in terms of average annual value. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI Starting pitcher Max Scherzer went 15-4 with a 2.46 ERA in 30 starts last season for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Max Scherzer owns a 3.16 ERA in 14 MLB seasons. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI Starting pitcher Max Scherzer, who agreed to a contract with the New York Mets on Monday, will play for his third different team in two seasons in 2022. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

Nov. 29 (UPI) -- The New York Mets and three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer agreed to a three-year, $130 millon contract Monday, taking arguably the best free agent pitcher off the market.

Sources told ESPN, The Athletic and MLB.com that the contract was finalized Monday afternoon. The deal includes an opt-out before the 2024 season.

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The pact is worth an MLB-record $43.3 million in average annual value. New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole held the previous record at $36 million in average annual value.

Scherzer's deal also is expected to give the Mets the highest payroll in MLB next season.

Scherzer, 37, went a combined 15-3 with a 2.46 ERA last season in 30 appearances for the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers. In July, the Nationals traded the eight-time All-Star, along with infielder Trea Turner, to the Dodgers.

Scherzer went 5-4 with a 3.74 ERA in 12 starts during MLB's COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. He owns a 190-97 record with a 3.16 ERA in 407 career appearances.

Scherzer made his MLB debut in 2008 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also played for the Detroit Tigers from 2010 through 2014. He won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019.

He ranks fifth all-time with 10.715 strikeouts per nine innings for his career. His 10,266 batters faced ranks fifth in MLB history.

Sherzer will join two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom atop the Mets' starting rotation.