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Max Scherzer agrees to seven-year, $210-million contract with Nationals

Pitcher Max Scherzer is pumped up after recording an out in the 2013 playoffs. Scherzer will sign a seven-year, $210-million deal with the Nationals.
(Mike Mulholland / Associated Press)
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Max Scherzer will become the highest-paid right-handed pitcher in the major leagues after agreeing to a $210-million, seven-year contract with the Washington Nationals that includes a record $50-million signing bonus, a person familiar with the negotiations said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn’t been announced.

Scherzer, the 2013 AL Cy Young Award winner for the Detroit Tigers, will receive the money over 14 years, which will lower its present-day value. The 30-year-old right-hander’s contract is the second-largest for a pitcher, behind only Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw’s $215 million, seven-year deal that runs from 2014-20.

The previous high for a right-hander was the $180-million, seven-year agreement from 2013-19 signed by Justin Verlander, another Cy Young Award winner for the Tigers.

Around the MLB:

Pitcher Yovani Gallardo was traded by the Milwaukee Brewers to the Texas Rangers for three players and cash.

Gallardo was 8-11 last year with a 3.51 earned-run average in 32 starts last season and 89-64 with a 3.69 ERA in an eight-year career with Milwaukee.

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Infielder Luis Sardinas, and right-handers Corey Knebel and Marcos Diplan were dealt to Milwaukee.

Gallardo’s contract specifies his 2015 salary increased from $13 million to $14 million when he was traded. Gallardo is eligible for free agency in November.

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Outfielder Dexter Fowler was traded by the Houston Astros to the Chicago Cubs for infielder Luis Valbuena and right-hander Dan Straily.

Fowler, 28, hit .276 with eight home runs and 35 runs batted in last year in his only season with the Astros, who acquired him from Colorado for outfielder Brandon Barnes and right-hander Jordan Lyles. Fowler, who has a .271 career average, asked last week for $10.8 million in arbitration and was offered $8.5 million. He is eligible for free agency after the season.

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Pitcher Erik Bedard agreed to a minor league contract with the Dodgers and has been invited to big league training camp. The 36-year-old left-hander was 4-6 with a 4.76 ERA in 15 starts last season for Tampa Bay.

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Angels reliever Yoslan Herrera, a right-hander who went 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 20 appearances last season, was given his release in order to play in Japan for Yokohama in the Nippon Professional Baseball League.

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