The Detroit Tigers are expected to consider trading starting pitcher Max Scherzer this offseason, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Scherzer is coming off his best season, going 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA. The AL Cy Young award favorite threw a career high 214 1/3 innings this year and struck out 240 batters, the second most in the AL.

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The right-hander is entering his final season of arbitration, and is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2014 season. The starting pitching free agent market will be weak this off-season, leading to speculation among baseball executives that Detroit will listen to offers for Scherzer.

The Tigers, however, are still interested in signing Scherzer to a long-term contract. One baseball executive speculated that the team will place the pitcher on the block to hurry up negotiations, telling Sherman:

"It might be posturing to try to influence Scherzer to engage in a long-term contract. Try to scare him that he will get traded so he can pressure [agent] Scott Boras. It won't work, but I think that's the tactic."

Detroit has already handed out expensive long-term contracts to Prince Fielder, Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander, but Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski told Sherman that the team could afford a fourth contract worth at least $20 million annually.

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