It looks like the Detroit Tigers are going to borrow a page from the New York Mets game plan and attempt to trade their
Cy Young winning pitcher,
Max Scherzer. Yes, I am fully aware that Scherzer has yet to
actually win the Cy Young, but let's not try to kid ourselves here. He went 21-3, posted a 2.90 ERA, a 2.74 FIP and struck out a rather absurd 10.08 hitters per nine innings. His 6.4 fWAR paced the American League, and he has two different colored eyes. He's a shoo-in.
But we have seen this script before. Last offseason, the Mets placed 2012 NL Cy Young Award winner,
R.A. Dickey, on the block. obviously, Dickey generated a butt-ton of interest and was eventually dealt to the Blue Jays so his knuckleball could be neutralized while playing in a dome. Physics can be silly sometimes.
Joining Scherzer
on the block is his rotation-mate,
Rick Porcello. Porcello would himself be a fine pickup for most teams. He's a solid 2-3 win pitcher according to Fangraphs, but let's not fool ourselves, he's a consolation prize after Scherzer.
Back to the R.A. Dickey comparison.
Other notable pitchers to be traded in the offseason after winning a Cy Young Award
............
Yeah, I can't think of anyone either. And, no,
Johan Santana is not one of them. He was traded
two offseasons after winning the Cy Young.
What surprises me most about this report, is that the idea is even being considered. Dickey was one thing. He throws a knuckleball, he's in his mid-30's, he has no Ulnar Collateral Ligament. Basically, he's as unpredictable as my six-year old wielding the sword that came with his Halloween costume.
Scherzer, on the other hand, is 29 years old and in the middle of his prime. He's gotten better each year, and high strikeout pitchers who both limit baserunners and pitch deep into games should be coveted, not given away like silly bands at an eight-year old's birthday party. It's just interesting that a team would want to use one of their Ace's to bring in young players. Of course, this is the Tigers after all. The team built on the "We don't care about infield defense" model.
It all just seems very odd to me. Maybe trading him
will make the Tigers better. Maybe they are more concerned with
Miguel Cabrera's next contract than with locking up Scherzer. Maybe the meaning of life
can be found in the center of a jelly donut. Whatever it is, one the first day of the GM Meetings, this was one of the stories to come out or Orlando. Buckle up, baseball fans, this could get interesting.
