There is a collective cringing in this town at the thought the Tigers would consider trading Max Scherzer. Not only was he 21-3 last season and about to be named as the American League Cy Young Award winner, but he couldn't be a more popular figure in this town. It's a great-pitcher-even-better-person type of thing.
Scherzer is eligible for free agency after next season. His stock has never been higher in regard to drawing a huge, long-term contract. But his trade value isn't as much as might be expected. A team trading for Scherzer isn't going to want to give up that much unless they are assured he is signed long-term.
A lot of people have looked at this and come to the conclusion the Tigers won't be able to sign Scherzer to a long-range contract before the start of next season because reputed high-line negotiator Scott Boras is his agent. I don't feel that way. For one thing, the Tigers will be generous with their offer. For another, Boras represents his client. Scherzer clearly likes it here and is very bright. And it should be understood, if Scherzer goes into next season without a long-term contract, he will be gambling mightily. If he were to get hurt, or go through the type of struggles which hindered Justin Verlander last season, the pot at the end of the rainbow won't be nearly as big as the one he can collect now from the Tigers.

Scherzer, Tigers would both win with long-term deal

The only way it would make any sense are if the contract demands are so outrageous even the Tigers don't bite on it.
The Tigers need to re-tool their roster. It begins with trading one of three starting pitchers not signed long-term, Scherzer, Rick Porcello or Doug Fister, to balance out their pitching staff and roster overall. Porcello and Fister are arbitration eligible and rapidly approaching free agency in two more years. Porcello has the most trade value of the three because of his age (25 next season compared 30 for Fister and 30 for Scherzer in July). Few starting pitchers in baseball have the combination of velocity and off-speed pitches as Scherzer, but Porcello does have a four-seam fastball he threw consistently in the mid-90s last season, which is tremendous compliment for his two-seamer (sinking fastball). Fister is a No.3 starter on a good staff. He doesn't have nearly as high a ceiling as Porcello, who is still younger than when Fister made his MLB debut.
This is what my educated guess is going to happen here:
- Porcello will be traded as part of the Tigers' big off-season move,
- Scherzer will sign a contract extension sometime in late January or early February.
- Fister will sign a deal which takes him though the year he is first eligible for free agency, 2016.
The Tigers do have flexibility here. They have Drew Smyly to fill a fifth starter role. They don't necessarily need to get another starting pitcher back in return in a trade.