Former Detroit Tiger ace Max Scherzer and the Washington Nationals have agreed to a seven-year contract worth $210 million to become the highest paid right-handed pitcher in major league history. The contract also contains a record $50 million dollar signing bonus, beating out Jon Lester’s $30 million from the Cubs earlier this offseason. With this addition, the Nats have become the 4-1 favorite to win the World Series.

Scherzer turned down an offer from Detroit last March that would have paid him $144 million from 2015-20, an average of $24 million per year. Now, Scherzer will collect his earnings over 14 years, deferring half the money until after the contract expires. So for the next 14 years, even after he retires, “Mad” Max will receive $15 million a year. That’s quite the salary, but the deal is well worth it for both sides.

Scherzer pitched masterfully to the tune of an 18-5 record with a 3.15 ERA in 2014, a year after his AL Cy Young campaign in 2013, going 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA. He now joins a club whose starting staff in 2014 included Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister—Scherzer’s former teammate with the Tigers—Gio Gonzalez, and Tanner Roark.

Zimmermann went 14-5 with a 2.66 ERA and 182 strikeouts in 199 2/3 innings in 2014, as well as throwing the first no-hitter in Nationals history on the last day of the regular season. However, he can enter free agency after next season, becoming a trade target for clubs in need of a strong arm.

Last season, Strasburg’s 3.14 ERA and 242 strikeouts amounted to a 14-11 record in 215 innings; Fister was 16-6 with a remarkable 2.41 ERA; Gonzalez, the only left-hander in the bunch, went 10-10 with a 3.57 ERA, and Roark went 15-10 with a 2.85 ERA in 198 2/3 innings.

For the St. Louis Cardinals, the Nationals pose a major threat in securing a third NL title in the past six years. The clubs face off in two series in the regular season, for a total of six games, which could set the table for a tight NL race. It’s highly possible that St. Louis and Washington could find themselves squaring off in October, and with Washington’s improved rotation, putting runs on the board when the game is on the line could be highly ambitious.

All in all, it’s a surprising move for the Nationals, who already owned an imposing pitching staff prior to Scherzer’s addition. With their pitchers leading the way, the former NL East champs look to secure the division title once again this upcoming season.