Max Scherzer has said that he's happy with the New York Mets, despite his opt-out clause at the end of the season.
The veteran pitcher is one of the most accomplished in Major League Baseball. He has won three Cy Young Awards, been selected to eight All-Star teams, and led the Washington Nationals to a World Series championship in 2019. Last offseason, the Mets signed Scherzer to a three-year, $130 million contract that included an opt-out clause after the 2023 season.
He's happy at the Mets for now, but there's a chance that he could opt out of his contract at the end of the season. If he does, he will become a free agent and sign with any team.
However, Scherzer's recent comments suggest that he's not currently considering that option. He seems to be fully committed to the Mets and their goal of winning the championship. In a recent interview with SNY, Scherzer said:
“I wanted to pursue a championship in that third year. And that's where an opt-out to me, made sense. But obviously, Steve [Cohen] has demonstrated that we're going to be trying to win the World Series. We're gonna do whatever it takes to win."
Last year, when pitcher Jacob deGrom was in the same position as Scherzer, he had a totally different outlook and made clear his intention to exercise his opt-out option. So did Manny Machado just a few weeks ago.
However, Max Scherzer has put his faith in the Mets and has undoubtedly been convinced by Steve Cohen's big-money moves in his quest for the World Series. He's happy with the team's ambitions, and the addition of Justin Verlander only vindicated his decision.
Max Scherzer confident of Mets project to land World Series
In the last three years since taking ownership of the team, Cohen has left no stones unturned to make the New York Mets the biggest and best team in the country.
He has invested heavily in all areas, which has led many to believe that it's only a matter of time before they land the World Series. Max Scherzer is one of them.
Scherzer has made it clear that the purpose of the opt-out clause in his contract was for competitive reasons and not monetary. He's happy to be part of a team that has their sights on the World Series.