NEW YORK (AP) — Max Scherzer did most everything on the mound this season — led the majors in wins, started the All-Star game, helped put his team in the playoffs.
Now, the newly minted AL Cy Young Award winner said he will “wait and see” whether he’s returning to the Detroit Tigers next year.
Scherzer went 21-3 and was an easy pick Wednesday as the American League’s top pitcher, drawing 28 of 30 first-place votes from members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers won the NL Cy Young Award for the second time in three seasons, coming within one vote of a unanimous selection.
Scherzer — like Kershaw — can become a free agent after the 2014 season, and the Tigers are trying to figure out if they can afford him along with all their other stars such as Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Justin Verlander. That’s prompted talk they might trade Scherzer before opening day.
“I love it here in Detroit,” Scherzer said on a conference call. “Who wouldn’t want to be a part of this?”
“The business side will take care of itself,” he said. “It really depends on what Detroit wants to do.”
Scherzer and agent Scott Boras said they’re open to talking to the Tigers about an extension.
Scherzer lost only three times this season and was the lone 20-game winner in baseball. He ranked second in the majors with 240 strikeouts and was fifth in the AL with a 2.90 ERA.
The 29-year-old righty smiled and raised both arms Wednesday when the Cy Young results were announced.
Yu Darvish of the Texas Rangers was second, marking the highest finish by a Japanese-born pitcher in Cy Young voting. Hisashi Iwakuma of the Seattle Mariners came in third.
Texas is the only AL team that’s never won a Cy Young Award.
Detroit’s Anibal Sanchez was fourth and Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox was fifth. They each got a first-place vote.
Kershaw won his second prize as the National League’s best pitcher after posting a 1.83 ERA — lowest in the majors in 13 years.
“This is such a cool thing. I can’t even explain what it means to me,” he said in an interview on MLB Network. “It really is a huge honor.”
The 25-year-old lefty with a big-breaking curve drew 29 of 30 first-place votes. Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals was picked first on one ballot and finished second.
Kershaw went 16-9 and topped the NL with 232 strikeouts. He also won the Cy Young Award in 2011 and finished second last year to knuckleballer R.A. Dickey.
Darvish gets a $200,000 bonus and a $1 million raise to $11 million next season. Wainwright gets a $100,000 bonus and Sale gets $60,000 for finishing fifth.
The AL and NL Most Valuable Player awards will be presented Thursday.