The Washington Nationals are seeking pitching and MLB Trade Rumors have the Detroit Tigers' Max Scherzer as their next possible target. The likely favorite to win the 2013 Cy Young Award is entering an arbitration season and the price tag might be a bit too high for the Tigers. What could both sides get from a possible deal?
For the Nationals, it is obvious. They would receive another arm to their arsenal of pitching that somehow could not get the team into the postseason in 2013. They were the favorite to win the division, heck, a favorite to win it all. Instead, it was the Atlanta Braves' staff of young arms who proved better, winning the N.L. East for the first time since 2005.
Scherzer would be a great fit, not that he will win 20 games again, but because he is a veteran with filthy stuff. He is everything you would want in a pitcher; movement, speed and location. Without a doubt, 2013 is the Tigers' year to take advantage of Scherzer's production. Albeit, his numbers were always getting better, his win total slowly rising from 9 to 12 to 15 then 16 and finally, 20. His losses went from double digits with the Arizona Diamondbacks to single digits... nine.... seven and then three in 2013. His ERA was also slow dropping, though it rose from 3.50 to 4.43 from 2010 to 2011. However, it has been dropping steadily from 2011-2013, going from 4.43 to 2.90.
Will that trend continue or will Scherzer digress at any point?
That will be the Nationals' risk to take if they add Scherzer to their roster. He is set to make over $13 million in 2014 and will become a free agent in 2015. Now, imagine a staff of Gio Gonzalez, Max Scherzer, Jordan Zimmerman and Stephen Strasburg. The pitching rotation could be in this order and it would make sense (that's an exaggeration). Realistically, Scherzer could be a solid three or four in a five-man rotation.
The Nationals have a couple of arms in their list of Top 10 Prospects that could possibly draw interest from the Tigers, who could use some more young starting pitching. Actually, the Nationals also have a few outfielders that could help fill the void when Torii Hunter eventually leaves and the Tigers have never had a decent left fielder in their recent years of success.
Will Scherzer move? Will the Nationals be that suitor or would they have another ace in mind?
