It appears as though free agent right-handed pitcher Max Scherzer will be finding a new home this offseason as the Detroit Tigers aren't actively pursuing a new contract for him.
Jason Beck, who is the Tigers beat reporter for MLB.com, tweeted that Detroit's general manager, president and CEO Dave Dombrowski said that the team isn't actively pursuing Scherzer:
Dombrowski said Scherzer status hasn't changed: "I guess anything can happen, but we're not really in active pursuit of him at this time."
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) December 11, 2014
Scherzer, 30, has spent the majority of his career with the Tigers after being drafted originally by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Scherzer has been with the club since 2007, but he doesn't seem to factor into the team's current plans.
Scherzer finished tied for the AL lead with 18 wins in 2014 while dropping just five contests in 33 starts and amassing a 3.15 ERA and 1.175 WHIP.
Scherzer finished third in the AL with 252 strikeouts and fifth with 220.1 innings pitched while he led the AL in winning percentage (.783) and placed second in strikeouts per nine innings (10.29).
Detroit has already traded away Rick Porcello to the Boston Red Sox for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who slots into a potent lineup that also includes Victor Martinez, Miguel Cabrera and Ian Kinsler.
The Tigers have acquired Alfredo Simon from the Cincinnati Reds and Shane Greene from the New York Yankees this offseason to fill in the bottom of their rotation, which includes David Price, Justin Verlander and Anibal Sanchez.
Price has been the subject of trade rumors while Verlander struggled to find his form in 2014, so it's a bit curious that Detroit isn't pursuing Scherzer, though he will command a lot of money on the market.
With Jon Lester agreeing to a six-year deal with the Chicago Cubs this week, the door should open for teams to start to enter a bidding war over Scherzer's services, though it seems as though the Tigers won't be in that group.
Scherzer is a two-time All-Star and won the Cy Young Award in 2013. The right-hander helped the Tigers to a 90-72 record in 2014 as Detroit won the AL Central for the fourth straight year before being displaced by the Baltimore Orioles in a three-game sweep in the ALDS.
Scherzer is 91-50 in his seven-year career with a 3.58 ERA, 1.219 WHIP and 1,321 strikeouts.
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