The Detroit Tigers released their own little bit of news regarding ace starting pitcher and reigning Cy Young award winner Max Scherzer.
#tigers announce they made offer to max scherzer that's been rejected, say they will now concentrate on field thru season.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 23, 2014
If this type of press release seems unusual, that’s because it is.
Unusual step: #Tigers announce they made “substantial, long-term contract offer” to RHP Max Scherzer, and that offer was rejected.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 23, 2014
The team took the chance to say, in no uncertain terms, that these talks will not be re-opened (and with a veiled shot at Scherzer to boot). From the release:
"As we have reiterated, it has been the organization’s intent to extend Max’s contract and keep him in a Tigers uniform well beyond the 2014 season. While this offer would have accomplished that, the ballclub’s focus remains on the start of the upcoming season, and competing for a World Championship. Moving forward there will be no further in-season negotiation and the organization will refrain from commenting on this matter.”"
The talks never seemed to gain much momentum this off-season, with Opening Day set as an arbitrary deadline. Rosenthal believes that an extension was never likely.
Extension for #Tigers’ Scherzer was always a longshot. Scott Boras generally prefers clients to establish their values on the open market.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 23, 2014
Jeff Passan of Yahoo! notes that it might not have been as much of a long shot as we thought.
One of the big post-Fielder trade talking points was freeing up money to sign Max Scherzer. Do Tigers now focus on extending Miguel Cabrera?
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 23, 2014
Oh, to have the Tigers’ problems.
As for Scherzer, this now sets him up for a gigantic payday in free agency a year from now if he pitches anywhere near the level he reached during 2013.