The MLB rumors are heating up with Jon Lester signed and now Max Scherzer and James Shields are the main targets for teams and the NY Yankees, LA Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox all could be interested in those pitchers, as Lester is now off the market along with Brandon McCarthy and Mat Latos, who was traded this week.
The Yankees have continued to get connected to Scherzer in rumors, with agent Scott Boras saying the team is never out of the big money deals. According to Hardball Talk, the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants met with Shields and he could be a potential option for the teams after Lester signed with the Cubs. Lester was always considered to be the pitcher who would start the market dominos falling and now Scherzer and Shields could be the next big names to sign.
Shields had a strong season with the Royals after being traded before the previous season from the Rays, while Scherzer has won a Cy Young in his time with the Tigers. Scherzer is 30 and Shields is 32 and Scherzer likely will be the more expensive option. Scherzer turned down a $144 million extension with the Tigers and that means he likely is looking for a deal around $200 million. The Yankees aren't looking to shell out a ton of money, but they may end up trying to sign Scherzer anyway. The team has a ton of questions coming up this season and adding Scherzer would help answer some of those.
The Rangers are a surprise team in the mix for Shields, as Jon Daniels believes the team has the talent to bounce back quickly this year. The team dealt with a ton of injuries last season and adding Shields would give them a solid bullpen. Last season Shields won 14 games and went 14-8 overall with a 3.21 ERA as the Royals made a run to the World Series. Another plus for Shields is his durability, as he has went over 200 innings in eight of the last nine seasons in his career.
The Red Sox are expected to be in on both players, as they lost out on Lester after making a big push and now that could lead to a deal with Shields. The team likely will not pay up for Scherzer and that makes Shields a decent option. The team made some trades and also added Justin Masterson, so there also is a chance they sit tight when it comes to signing pitchers on the market.
The winter meetings are winding down and there has been a flurry of moves at the end, with Brandon McCarthy, Matt Kemp, Dee Gordon and Mat Latos all getting signed or traded. The Giants were in heavy on the Lester talks and now they could look at making a deal for Scherzer or Shields, although Shields is a more likely option. The team did not have much behind Madison Bumgarner last season and they would love to add another big arm to the starting rotation.