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The most prized MLB free agent this offseason is officially off the market, as starting pitcher Max Scherzer has signed with the Washington Nationals.



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Nationals Announce Scherzer Signing

Wednesday, Jan. 21

The Washington Nationals officially announced the signing of star pitcher Max Scherzer on Wednesday:

The team also posted this image from Wednesday's introductory press conference on its Instagram account:

Scherzer shared his thoughts on the talent Washington boasts throughout the roster:

He also commented on his deal, per the MLB on Twitter:

Jason Beck of MLB.com and Fox Sports: MLB added further statements from Scherzer:

Scherzer Headed to Nationals

Monday, Jan. 19

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the accomplished ace inked a seven-year deal with the Nationals:

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports provided the financial details, including luxury-tax information:

Top-of-the-rotation starters aren't easy to come by, which is why Scherzer was so coveted. The 30-year-old righty is coming off the two best seasons of his career, and he cashed in by signing a lucrative free-agent contract.

It was always quite apparent that Scherzer would test the market, but that was made official when he declined a qualifying offer in excess of $15 million from the Detroit Tigers, per Major League Baseball's official Twitter account:

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports noted the significance of Scherzer's deal:

Passan added further details in terms of his bonus money:

To make up for the loss with the deferrals – because of inflation and lost interest-earning opportunity, future money is worth less than present – Scherzer will receive $50 million in the form of a signing bonus spread over multiple years, the source said. The benefit to structuring the contract as such is that because his permanent residence is outside the District, Scherzer will not be subject to a state income tax on money earned in Washington, D.C.

After going 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA and winning the American League Cy Young Award in 2013, Scherzer followed that up with a 2014 campaign that was nearly as good.

Scherzer posted a sparkling 18-5 record along with a 3.15 ERA and a career-high 252 strikeouts last season. Few pitchers in baseball induce as many swing-and-misses as Scherzer, which is invaluable as the games become more important late in the year.

With Scherzer's stock soaring through the roof after the 2014 season, Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski knew that re-signing him would be a major challenge, according to Ashley Dunkak of CBS Detroit:

We had thorough conversations before the season, and I don't know that that's all dictated by us at this point. I think we made ourself pretty well-known at that time, where we stood, and he's a quality pitcher, and we know that. He's done a lot for our organization but it's apparent that his representative wanted him to test free agency… …I think we probably made more of an effort to sign Max earlier in the year at that time, so I don't think your odds improve than what they were earlier.

There was plenty working in Scherzer's favor when he hit the open market, including the relative weakness of the free-agent class as a whole.

Above all else, though, Scherzer has little wear and tear on his arm when compared to other elite pitchers. As pointed out by MLB Network's Peter Gammons, Scherzer has actually thrown fewer innings than Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, despite being four years older than the lefty:

While there is always risk involved with handing out a huge contract to a pitcher, the numbers seem to be on Scherzer's side more so than for other top hurlers.

If Scherzer is able to maintain the level at which he has pitched for the past two seasons, he may very well live up to his lofty contract.

There is more pressure on him to thrive now than ever before, but he unquestionably has the skill set needed to continue his run of dominance.

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