We knew the Detroit Tigers had a sour taste in their mouth after Max Scherzer rejected their six-year, $144 million offer last spring. Now that he signed with the Washington Nationals, more information has revealed just how upset the team's ownership actually was.
Scherzer agreed to a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Nationals on Monday and ended up cashing out after all. For much of the offseason it was speculated the right-hander would return to the Detroit Tigers, because as spring training grew nearer, one could only assume Scherzer's price tag of $200 million would go down. Additionally, Detroit appeared to have needed him back since they face starting rotation questions beyond 2015.
However, according to FOX Sports' Jon Morosi, sources say owner Mike Ilitch "never became full re-engaged in trying to retain [Scherzer]." This doesn't come as too big a surprise because it was reported on numerous occasions by general manager Dave Dombrowski as well as other anonymous Tigers' officials that the team was not actively engaged in contract talks with Scherzer or his representation. It's believed the team never really began pursuing him again because the $144 million contract he turned down last spring was likely the "largest final offer rejected by an Ilitch employee in more than 50 combined seasons of Tigers and Red Wings ownership," adds Morosi.
Scherzer's last three seasons were the best of his career and he's already 30 years old, so Ilitch likely felt $144 million (on top of his $15 million salary for 2014) was a generous offer for the right-hander, who was 36-31 with a 4.01 ERA in 94 starts from 2009-2011. Granted, Scherzer rebounded tremendously to go 55-15 with a 3.24 ERA (and a Cy Young Award) in 97 starts over the last three seasons, but his three best seasons aren't as good as the three best for Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander and Felix Hernandez, all of whom signed lucrative contracts within the past couple of years.
Here are their three best seasons for comparison:
Kershaw: 58-17 with a 1.97 ERA in 93 starts, including three Cy Young Awards and one MVP award (signed a seven-year, $215 million contract before the 2014 season)
Hernandez: 47-23 with a 2.30 ERA in 102 starts, including one Cy Young Award and two runner-ups (signed a seven-year, $175 million contract before the 2013 season)
Verlander: 60-22 with a 2.83 ERA in 102 starts, including one Cy Young Award and one MVP award (signed a seven-year, $180 million contract before the 2013 season)
Additionally, the Tigers ranked 2nd in the MLB over the past two seasons (which were Scherzer's best) in terms of runs scored, which certainly helped his case. During Verlander's three best seasons, the team ranked 11th, 4th and 15th and he still managed 60 wins. Let's also not forget Scherzer has only pitched over 200 innings in a season twice (2013 and 2014) in his seven-year career, while Kershaw has done it four times in seven seasons, Hernandez seven times in 10 seasons and Verlander eight times in 10 seasons.
I'm not saying Scherzer can't continue to be an elite durable pitcher, because I certainly think he is, but it's understandable was Ilitch was frustrated when he rejected the lucrative offer last offseason. Nonetheless, what's done is done and the Tigers will move forward without Scherzer and the Nationals improved their already dominant starting rotation.
"In the end, Ilitch should be respected for his stance. Similarly, Scherzer ought to be admired for performing so brilliantly with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake -- and congratulated on the deal of a lifetime," Morosi concludes.
