Baseball Notes: Scherzer contract makes history  —  Max Scherzer will become the highest-paid righthanded pitcher in major-league history after agreeing to a $210 million, seven-year contract with the Washington Nationals that includes a record $50 million signing bonus.

Yankees Held Private Workout For Yoan Moncada  —  Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada can't sign just yet, but he's in the process of conducting private workouts for teams.  The Yankees, Baseball America has learned, are one team that has already held a private workout for Moncada.

BREWERS COMMITTED TO JIMMY NELSON, SO SCRATCH JORDAN ZIMMERMANN  —  JP Morosi  —  Since I previously made the case here for the Milwaukee Brewers to trade for Jordan Zimmermann, I should share with you something Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said on the subject Monday.

Mets cash owed to Strawberry won at auction  —  The Internal Revenue Service on Tuesday auctioned off the money owed to Darryl Strawberry from the New York Mets contract he signed in 1985.  —  A man, who did not want to be identified, agreed to pay $1.3 million to receive a check from the Mets …

Proposal would shorten inning breaks  —  Under a new proposal by Major League Baseball, pitchers would be required to finish their warm-up pitches and be ready to make their first pitch of an inning 30 seconds before the end of all between-inning commercial breaks, sources told ESPN.com.

Cubs acquire Dexter Fowler from Astros  —  The Chicago Cubs intensified their push toward 2015 playoff status by acquiring switch-hitting leadoff center fielder Dexter Fowler from the Houston Astros in exchange for infielder Luis Valbuena and pitcher Dan Straily.

Kang can earn $750,000 annually in bonuses from Pirates  —  PITTSBURGH (AP) — South Korean infielder Jung Ho Kang can earn $750,000 annually in performance bonuses based on plate appearances as part of his $11 million, four-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Curry looks to avoid paying for his mistakes  —  A mom's got to have nice shoes and a great handbag, right?  Especially if she's going to Manhattan to see her son play in the All-Star Game.  —  Sonya Curry's accessories collection is on the line every time her son takes the floor.

Seahawks fan rejects $20K, will give famed football back to Kearse  —  SEATTLE — It is the pass that put the Seattle Seahawks into the Super Bowl — again.  In overtime, Russell Wilson threw it to Jermaine Kearse, who threw it to... Scott Shelton?  —  The fan sitting in end zone seats caught …

Righty appeared in 20 games for Angels in '14  —  9/21/14: Yoslan Herrera induces a grounder from Adam Rosales, starting the inning-ending double play and escaping a bases-loaded jam  —  The Angels have released Yoslan Herrera in order for the right-hander to play for Yokohama …