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Turning the page on Max Scherzer; Why Washington?

By Matt Pelc |
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Jan 21, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; (left to right) Washington Nationals manager Matt Williams, Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer, agent Scott Boras, and Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo pose during a press conference introducing Scherzer as a member of the Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

When Max Scherzer signed with the Washington Nationals late Sunday into early Monday, it sent shock waves through the baseball community, particularly the communities of Washington and Detroit.

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The Detroit Tigers’ loss was the Washington Nationals’ gain as the team seemingly came out of nowhere to make the astonishing offer to the 30-year old former Cy Young winner.

We got in touch with our awesome FanSided affiliate that covers the Nats, District on Deck, to get their thoughts on the move, why they did it and fan reaction in the Nation’s Capital. We caught up with the site’s very busy co-editor Ricky Keeler (follow him on Twitter @Rickinator555) earlier this week to answer our questions.

MCB: So Detroit Tigers’ fans are really starting to hate the Washington Nationals. First you steal Doug Fister from us, a trade that fans will never let go, then you throw a ton of money at Max Scherzer making our secret dreams of an eventual reunion evaporate.

Truth be told, I think that most Tigers’ fans are happy to not have to pay the $210 million deal with several high priced players in their 30’s at the beginning of long contracts (Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera) already in place. That being said, most of us were shocked when the Washington Nationals were announced as the landing spot after months of no movement from the usual suspects of Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels, Cubs, etc.

What prompted the Nationals to make such a bold move?

DOD: The Nationals made a bold move, but its not one that shouldn’t be seen as surprising. The Nationals have Scott Boras clients on their team in terms of homegrown talent (Stephen Strasburg and Anthony Rendon to name a few), but look back to the winter of 2010 when the Nationals signed Jayson Werth, a Scott Boras client, to a seven-year deal. This is a move that could have originated from Boras going to owner Ted Lerner for this type of a deal.

Lerner is 89 years old, and as evidenced by the Rafael Soriano deal from 2013, he will make the deals that he feels can lead Washington to a championship. With the addition of Scherzer, the Nationals become a favorite to win the World Series. The only surprise, so far, in this move, is that either Jordan Zimmermann or Stephen Strasburg weren’t traded before this move happened. I am interested in seeing whether the Nationals do trade one of those guys this offseason or stick with the super rotation and the championship-or-bust aspirations.

Next up, Washington fan reaction…

Oct 3, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Fans cheer before game one of the 2014 NLDS playoff baseball game at Nationals Park between the Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants. Mandatory Credit: H.Darr Beiser-USA TODAY Sports

MCB: What was the Nats’ fans reaction? If it is anything like Tigers’ fans every high-priced move is usually met with half excitement, half trepidation. Some say they are happy the owner just goes for it regardless of the money because after all, “it ain’t my money.” Still others worry about the long-term cost of the franchise, years down the road when the player is aging, not performing, the contract is too high for trades and money can’t be spent elsewhere. Was there a similar reaction in D.C.?

DOD: The reaction in Washington DC is that this Scherzer move not only helps the team win the World Series now, but gives it a chance to be competitive for many years to come. Part of that is the half-deferred part of Scherzer’s deal. While it could remind people of the contract that Bobby Bonilla still has with the Mets, this is a deal that also gives Washington some money to sign their own players.

One of the players that seem to be a guy the fanbase wants to keep is Jordan Zimmermann. Zimmermann has been great for the Nats each of the last two seasons and his last two-starts, a no-hitter and a near complete game against the Giants in the postseason have proven he can pitch in the big spots. With Washington having two pitchers (Zimmermann and Fister) heading for free agency, this kind of a deal has the fans thinking that not only could they keep the whole rotation together in 2015 if the deals that clubs present aren’t right in the eyes of the front office, but they could also give players like Zimmermann and shortstops Ian Desmond some long-term contracts of their own.

Up next, who Max replaces in the already-stellar Nationals’ rotation…

Oct 7, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; Washington Nationals pitcher Tanner Roark throws a pitch against the San Francisco Giants in the fifth inning during game four of the 2014 NLDS baseball playoff game at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

MCB: With one of the best starting rotations in 2014, who is the odd man out for the Nats?

DOD: Right now, the odd man out for the Nationals is Tanner Roark, unless Mike Rizzo and company trade one of their starting pitchers. If they do, in my opinion, I think it is Stephen Strasburg that gets dealt because he is under club control till after the 2016 season unlike Zimmermann or former Tiger Doug Fister. Roark was top ten in all of baseball in WAR last year and went 15-10 with a 2.85 ERA.

Even with those great numbers, Roark seems to be a fit for the bullpen. He has good velocity on his fastball and is a four-pitch pitcher. Plus, maybe he emerges as one of the candidates in the bullpen for the eighth inning job, depending on whether or not the team gets another player to replace Tyler Clippard, who is now in Oakland. With Gio Gonzalez still on the team, he is going to be the #5 starter. This is a rotation that is deep not only on the major league level, but has good young arms in the farm system with guys such as Lucas Giolito, A.J. Cole, and Taylor Jordan.

Up next, does this make the Nationals more of a contender or were they already a contender without Scherzer?

Jan 21, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals manager Matt Williams speaks during a press conference introducing pitcher Max Scherzer (not pictured) as a member of the Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

MCB: I have argued that this move doesn’t make the Nationals a whole lot better. They were always going to have a very good team, one that will compete for a World Series in 2015 and beyond, with or without Scherzer. How does this make them more of a World Series threat?

DOD: To answer that question, it depends on what the team does next after this move. If the Nationals keep Jordan Zimmermann, then Matt Williams will have two aces in his rotation. If not, Scherzer slides in for Zimmermann and you can make the case that it cancels out. The Nationals were third in all of baseball in runs scored last season, so the offense is there. The question is can the team bring the bats to the postseason, something they didn’t do last season against the Giants.

The rotation is already the strength of the Nats, but the bullpen is going to be a question mark. With Tyler Clippard gone, who takes over as the eighth inning man? Plus, what about Drew Storen? Can he be a successful closer with Rafael Soriano no longer in DC? Storen has had a couple of bad moments on the postseason stage, but had a great second half of last season. If Washington keeps the rotation together, they are the prohibitive favorites to reach the World Series.

Finally, we find out what D.C. consensus is on the deferred payment structure…

Oct 3, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; A general view during the National Anthem before game one of the 2014 NLDS playoff baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Detroit Tigers at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: David Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

MCB: What is your take on the deferred payroll?  Short-term it is a positive because it does not tie the purse strings while Washington is in win-now mode, but it may be a tough pill to swallow to pay Max $15 million annually not only while he’s on the decline, but well after he is no longer a Washington National.

DOD: You are correct. On the short-term, it is a positive for the Nationals because it allows them to take some of the deferred money and put it towards extending the likes of Zimmermann and Desmond. On the other hand, as I mentioned before, it kind of reminds me of the Bobby Bonilla deal with the Mets. However, when you have an owner who is up there in age that wants a title, you go at all cost to get it. It will be tough to look at seven years from now, but if Scherzer is one of the key pieces to a championship in the Nation’s Capital, it will be an afterthought to the eyes of some fans.

Thanks to District on Deck for all the help! Follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

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