Pitcher Max Scherzer agreed to a one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers on Friday.
Scherzer, the 2013 American League CY Young award winner, will make $15,525,000 this year. He will be eligible for free agency after this season. The Tigers would like to give him a long term contract however. The fact that the Tigers want Scherzer to be with them long-term shouldn’t be a surprise because he’s a good asset for them. He was 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA and 240 strikeouts last year as the Tigers went to the AL championship series, according to the Associated Press.
Scherzer isn’t the only player that the Tigers reached a deal with. In addition to Scherzer they reached one-year deals with right-handed pitcher Rick Porcello, reliever Al Alburquerque, and outfielders Andy Dirks and Austin Jackson. Porcello will make $8.5 million, Alburquerque will make $837,500, Dirks will make $1.625 million, and Jackson will make $6 million, according to MLB.com. Catcher Alex Avila is the Tigers only remaining arbitration case left for the Tigers. Avila is asking for a raise from $2.95 million to $5.35 million. The Tigers offered him $3.75 million.
Last year Porcello was 13-8 with a 4.32 ERA and a career-high 142 strikeouts. Alburquerque had a record of 4-3 with a 4.59 ERA in 53 games. Dirks hit .256 with nine homeruns and 37 RBI’s. Jackson hit .272 with 12 homeruns and 49 RBI’s.
The five deals add over $16 million to the Tigers payroll. When Avila’s deal is done it will be close to $20 million, if not more. It will be interesting to see if Scherzer gets a long-term deal with the Tigers.