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The latter IMO is now MLB's most overpaid player. The numbers bear it out:
Last 3 years regular season Kershaw ERA 2.05; Scherzer 3.26
A gap of 1.21, while the overall NL gap vs the AL in 2014 was just .16. So it's not one league hitting gangbusters and one hitting little. The days of AL total ERA well past 4 are over, for now.
Scherzer's 3 year ERA was just .56 less than 2014 AL overall. Good gap, NOT great.
The latter IMO is now MLB's most overpaid player. The numbers bear it out:
Last 3 years regular season Kershaw ERA 2.05; Scherzer 3.26
A gap of 1.21, while the overall NL gap vs the AL in 2014 was just .16. So it's not one league hitting gangbusters and one hitting little. The days of AL total ERA well past 4 are over, for now.
Scherzer's 3 year ERA was just .56 less than 2014 AL overall. Good gap, NOT great.
What's your point? Andrew McCutchen should have a $150 mill six year deal too... but he signed for a third of that.
The two salaries should not be close. Kershaw is head and shoulders MLB's best starter..in decades. #2 is as far away as #2 in NBA was to Michael Jordan during his prime.
The two salaries should not be close. Kershaw is head and shoulders MLB's best starter..in decades. #2 is as far away as #2 in NBA was to Michael Jordan during his prime.
It doesn't matter. It's the market. Scherzer was the best pitcher available on the open market, and was paid as such. If Kershaw had been on the market this offseason, he would be making more than Scherzer, but he wasn't.
And really, does contract size equate to whether or not a player is the best at his position? And how is it really effecting you? Do you get a cut of Kershaw's salary? Kershaw is being paid just fine, and will continue to get paid, whereas this is Scherzer's last contract. It will all even out, don't worry.
Sure, Kershaw is by almost every metric better, but despite this he still pitches in the NL with the number nine slot in the lineup being occupied by another pitcher. I also think as a whole the AL is stronger than the NL and there is less stress when you know there is one practically automatic out in the lineup. I also think the park he plays in greatly helps Kershaw. One other thing you're overlooking is that he has been abysmal in post season play.
That being said, he has a glaring weakness, which is his inability to finish games. He's great through six innings but rarely finishes, which means as good as he might be, he's going to tax his bullpen. His ERA and wins might be impressive, but he's no Kershaw or Mad Bum - not even close.
That being said, he has a glaring weakness, which is his inability to finish games. He's great through six innings but rarely finishes, which means as good as he might be, he's going to tax his bullpen. His ERA and wins might be impressive, but he's no Kershaw or Mad Bum - not even close.
How big a deal is that really?
Let's look at the past two years, including postseason:
Scherzer: 460.1 IP, 69 starts = 6.67 innings per start.
Kershaw: 470.0 IP, 66 starts = 7.12 innings per start.
That's basically not even two batters per game.
And let's throw MadBum in there: 467.1/70 = 6.68 innings per start... same as Max.
.45 IP gap * 32 starts = 14.4 IP/year, or 1/3rd of typical relief specialist tied to that gap.
Over Kershaw's 7 year deal, that gap is 100 IP. 2 relief pitchers years.
Last edited by bobtn; 01-24-2015 at 01:17 PM..
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