Washington Nationals rightfully chose Max Scherzer over Jon Lester

Three years ago, the Washington Nationals chose to sign free agent Max Scherzer instead of Jon Lester. The decision is one they have no reason to regret.

Following the 2014 MLB season, starting pitchers Max Scherzer and Jon Lester entered the free agent pool. They were the top two pitchers available at the time, each coming off big seasons. Hoping to land a true ace, the Washington Nationals signed Scherzer to a huge contract with a lot of deferred money paid out long after he retires. Certainly a risky maneuver, it had to be done.

After three seasons with the Nationals, it’s clear they picked the right guy. Scherzer is two for three in the Cy Young victories. Lester finished second in 2016, but beyond that, he has not received any consideration. In fact, at times he has been downright lousy.

Scherzer is a rare outlier when it comes to big contracts for veteran pitchers. Unlike so many others, he has actually performed way beyond his deal. He is the exception to the norm. At 33-years-old, he remains one of baseball’s best arms.

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Max Scherzer’s Impact on Free Agency

Often, we’ll see teams avoid signing veteran starting pitchers because of the risks associated. When Max Scherzer reached free agency, he was still young enough to earn a big payday. Scherzer was coming off his age 29 season with the Detroit Tigers. Right in his prime, there wasn’t any reason to stay away.

Other free agent starting pitchers aren’t so lucky. Their free agent year comes a little too late. A perfect example of this is Jake Arrieta. The ex-Chicago Cubs pitcher turns 32 next month. Among other concerns, it’s a big reason why he has yet to sign.

Scherzer may not impact Arrieta directly, but he is helping the free agent case for him and many others. With no sign of slowing down, Scherzer proves that sometimes a lengthy contract is necessary and the benefits outweigh the side effects later on in the player’s career. Of course, Scherzer could always just pitch forever and continue to amaze us for a few more centuries.

As for Jon Lester, the veteran lefty has been key to the Cubs’ success in recent years. Although, his statistics don’t compare to Scherzer’s.

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For the best overall measure of what each has done, Scherzer has been worth 20.6 WAR over the past three seasons. Lester has contributed a WAR of only 9.1. Better than “twice as good” in this regard, Mike Rizzo can sleep easy with the decision.