The Mets and Max Scherzer agreed to a three-year, $130 million deal.
The contract comes with a record $43.33 million average annual salary and an opt out after the second year, along with a full no-trade clause.
The deal also surpasses the average annual value for any player in MLB history, leaving behind the $36 million per year the Yankees are giving Gerrit Cole, as well as the $85 million over the first two years of Trevor Bauer’s deal he signed with the Dodgers a year ago.
The Mets and new owner Steve Cohen tried to make a big splash with Bauer last offseason, offering the right-hander a three-year, $105 million contract before he ultimately signed with the Dodgers.
Scherzer, 37, had also been linked to the Dodgers and Angels this offseason, but instead became part of the early free-agent frenzy by the Mets.
The Fun Guide 