Max Scherzer’s three-year, $130 million deal shatters the record for highest AAV at $43.3 million per year, and Mets owner Steve Cohen says the price is well worth the performer.
“The team got together, our baseball ops, the people, and essentially, that was the value we put on Max,” Cohen said at Scherzer’s introductory press conference on Wednesday. “That was the vicinity. I may have added a bit more just because of brand building, and that’s how I got to the number. But I wasn’t gonna go over that. That was it for me, and lucky enough, we held our ground and we got an agreement.”
Scherzer, the latest in a line of free agent signings for the Mets, represents a drastic shift from the team’s search for a president of baseball operations and a general manager, which was a long and arduous process that saw many of the team’s top candidates back out of consideration or express no interest at all, even if the job was a promotion. The Mets finally landed on Billy Eppler, and ever since, the team has been significantly upgrading the roster, most notably with the signing of Scherzer.
With Scherzer, Mark Canha, Eduardo Escobar and Starling Marte all on board, even as New York still looks to fill its managerial spot, the Mets suddenly don’t look like a place that is avoided at all costs.
“I don't know where that narrative came from, we signed four free agents in a few days,” Cohen said. “Whoever had that thought, I guess they were wrong.”
Of course, what matters will be the team’s performance with its revamped roster, which Cohen says may not be a finished product just yet.
“All you can do is put together the best team you can, and it’s ultimately up to the players to go out there and perform,” Cohen said. “We’ll see what happens. We’re hopeful. I think we’ve put together a great club. I’m sure we’ll do some other things to improve it further, and then we’ll see what happens.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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