Three Previous Multiple Cy Young Award Winners Seek New Teams to Join
Up for sale: nine Cy Young awards, distributed among three free-agent pitchers looking to make a comeback.
With Opening Day just around the corner, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, and Justin Verlander are eagerly sought after by contending clubs with deep pockets and a willingness to take on the challenges associated with aging arms.
Verlander, now 42, is the eldest of the trio and the oldest player in Major League Baseball unless the 45-year-old Rich Hill gains another chance.
Chasing 300
Most recently with the Houston Astros, Verlander leads the majors with 262 victories but has a considerable distance to go before reaching the esteemed 300-win club. If he were to maintain an average of 19 wins per season for the next two years, it would be a challenging feat for a right-hander who has already spent nearly two decades in the big leagues and experienced numerous physical setbacks in recent years.
In 2024, for example, he delivered a 5.48 ERA, 5.48 ERA, and a 1.38 WHIP (walks + hits per innings pitched) while only pitching 90.1 frames. Shoulder and neck injuries kept him out for extended periods.
Scherzer and Kershaw also saw significantly reduced playing time last season. Scherzer made just nine starts spanning 43.1 innings for the Texas Rangers, concluding with a 3.95 ERA.
Injuries slowed Kershaw, who had a 4.50 ERA in seven starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitching only 30 innings. The 10-time All-Star has spent his entire career with the Dodgers but faces competition for a roster spot now that they have signed Blake Snell and reinstated Shohei Ohtani to their starting rotation.
Advanced age is a concern for all three, with Scherzer having already entered his 40s and Kershaw not far behind.
Financial Constraints
Finances may pose a more significant challenge. Scherzer and Verlander enjoyed matching contracts at $43.4 million annually thanks to Mets owner Steve Cohen's generosity, but they will have to accept significantly less lucrative deals even if competition arises for their services.
As illustrated by Charlie Morton's recent move from the Atlanta Braves to the Baltimore Orioles, where he took a $5 million pay cut, many veteran players have found themselves accepting lesser compensation to continue their careers. Morton, 41, still secured a one-year $15 million contract, inspiring other aging pitchers to not lose faith in their market value.
Contract length could also prove problematic. Both players – and the respective teams – may find a one-year deal appealing, complete with a club option for a second season to accommodate changing circumstances.
This approach seems ideal for the ambitious Verlander, the veteran of the group with 19 big-league seasons under his belt. He boasts a 262-147 career record, a 3.30 career ERA, and three Cy Young awards (2011, 2019, 2022). He finished second in the Cy Young voting on three separate occasions.
Scherzer, also on a path to the Hall of Fame, holds a 216-112 record over 17 seasons with a 3.16 ERA. He captured his Cy Young awards in 2013, 2016, and 2017. Now 37, Kershaw has still a few years left to accumulate Cooperstown-worthy statistics, with a 212-97 record, a stunning 2.50 ERA, and Cy Young awards in 2011, 2013, and 2014.
Suitors Galore
All three have multiple potential suitors and may be drawn to clubs in their hometowns. As Morton demonstrated with his decision to sign with the Orioles (he resides near Orioles' spring training in Sarasota), location can play a significant role in the selection process. Verlander, apparently courted by the Orioles as well, hails from Virginia and could even return to Washington, where he helped secure the Nationals' lone World Series title in 2019.
Scherzer, born and raised in St. Louis, may opt for the Cardinals, although their payroll has been shrinking since adding three underperforming veteran pitchers: Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson, and Sonny Gray.
The Kansas City Royals, positioned to claim a championship in 2025, could emerge as a viable option, although they gave up on aging pitcher Zack Greinke after his decline.
Kershaw, a native Texan, may spark interest from both the Rangers and the Astros, depending on whether the Dodgers offer him a tantalizing contract with attractive terms.
The consensus among most teams is that they can never have enough pitching. Now that the holiday season has passed and spring training is on the horizon, unsurprisingly, anything is possible for these aging, but accomplished, pitchers. While none of them are capable of recapturing their former Cy Young dominance, each is guaranteed to land a starting spot, even if only at the back of a team's rotation.
Teams with six-man rotations might compete for their services, as could clubs anticipating increased ticket sales by acquiring famous names.
In the pursuit of strengthening their pitching rotations, multiple contending teams are keen on signing veteran pitchers like Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Clayton Kershaw. Despite his age of 42, Verlander, who has 262 career wins with the Houston Astros, aims to approach the 300-win club. Scherzer, now 37, had a 3.95 ERA in nine starts for the Texas Rangers last season, while Kershaw, a 10-time All-Star with the Los Angeles Dodgers, had a 4.50 ERA in seven starts. Financial constraints and competition for roster spots may influence their contract offers and team choices, but all three have potential suitors, including teams from their hometowns.
