Max Scherzer has been everything the Los Angeles Dodgers wanted and more since being acquired from the Washington Nationals at this season’s MLB trade deadline.
Entering play Thursday, he has made nine starts with the Dodgers and in that time leads baseball with a 0.78 ERA, 1.35 FIP, 2.9 WAR, and 33.3% strikeout to walk ratio. His performance has been historically dominant and pushed him into the race to win his fourth National League Cy Young Award.
The timing also couldn’t be better on an individual level as Scherzer is set to become a free agent after the season ends, so the 37-year-old is looking for one final contract with a team he can finish out his career with.
But although free agency looms, Scherzer is just focused on helping the Dodgers win and letting the free agency process unfold however it may after that, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“Free agency, that all takes care of itself,” Scherzer said, dismissing the topic as premature to discuss. “As long as you go out there and play to win, everything else takes care of itself. It guides you in the right direction and to the right team. So for me, I just want to come to the park and win. That’s it.”
Although many teams will be bidding for his services, the Dodgers appear to have an edge keeping the right-hander if they want to.
Scherzer has made multiple comments suggesting he would like to re-sign with the Dodgers when he does become a free agent. After recording his 3,000th career strikeout, Scherzer told Clayton Kershaw he hopes they are still teammates when the left-hander is able to reach the same milestone.
Kershaw is also set to become a free agent after the season. However, the Dodgers will likely do whatever they can to keep the franchise legend from leaving.
FOCO releases Scherzer bobblehead
FOCO released a limited-edition Max Scherzer bobblehead to celebrate his recent achievement of reaching 3,000 career strikeouts. The right-hander became the 19th pitcher in MLB history to reach the milestone.
The mini bobblehead, which is numbered out of 300, features Scherzer in uniforms for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, and Dodgers.
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