Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Max Scherzer
Jul 9, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (37) pitches in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Reuters

Pitcher Max Scherzer has agreed to a seven year contract with the Washington Nationals and the team immediately becomes one of the favourites to contend for the title in the 2015-2016 Major League Baseball (MLB) season.

The terms of the deal weren’t officially disclosed but The Washington Post, one of the first sites to break the story, speculated that the deal which will run for seven years is worth over $160 million. The site’s sports reporter also confirmed the deal on Twitter.

The Nats and Max Scherzer have agreed to a seven-year deal, per a source. http://t.co/D88K8GVKq2

— Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) January 19, 2015

The 30-year-old Scherzer. a right-hander, is considered one of MLB’s best pitchers with a 3.24 ERA in the last 3 seasons. He was 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA and 252 strikeouts in 220 1/3 innings for the Detroit Tigers last season after winning the American League Cy Young award, given to the game’s best pitcher, in 2013.

Scherzer started his MLB career with the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2008 to 2009 and joined the Detroit Tigers in the 2010 season after Scherzer was traded along with three other players to the Detroit Tigers as part of a three team trade in December 2009. Scherzer is 91-50 in his career with a 3.58 ERA in the seven seasons in the MLB and has made the MLB All-Star team in the last two seasons.

Detroit went 90-72 last season to win the American League Central Division. Washington went 96-66 to win the National League East Division. Both had disappointing finishes in the MLB Postseason with the Tigers losing to the Baltimore Orioles, 3-0 in the American League Division Series and the Nationals losing to San Francisco Giants, 3-1 in the National League Division Series.

Scherzer chose not to sign a Tigers offer of six years and $144 million and explored free agency to gauge if he can get more money and more years. The latest report from Washington is showing that the gamble will pay off.

Email j.gloria@IBTimes.com.au to contact author of this article.

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