Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Max Scherzer’s seven-year deal with the Nationals is worth $210 million. He adds that half of it will be deferred; he’ll receive $15 million per year for 14 years. That means he’ll be on the Nationals’ books through 2028.
Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports that Scherzer’s deal also includes a $50 million signing bonus to be paid out over an unspecified amount of time. Due to the deferrals, Passan notes that the total value of Scherzer’s contract will come out to less than $210 million. He estimates $185 million.
Scherzer turned down a six-year, $144 million offer from the Tigers in March. He gambled and won big.
With Scherzer in the fold, the Nationals are now close to $150 million in total payroll going into the 2015 season.