A 40-year-old, future Hall of Fame starting pitcher is taking his talents north of the border.
Max Scherzer signed with the Toronto Blue Jays Thursday on a one-year, $15.5 million contract, according to ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman was first to break the news.
Scherzer was drawing interest from multiple clubs after a recent showcase in Florida. The Blue Jays were one of the attending teams, but reports indicate that Toronto had been courting the decorated starting pitcher for months.
The 40-year-old, coming off a season in which he started just nine games for the Texas Rangers, joins a veteran rotation in Toronto that also includes Kevin Gausman (3.83 ERA in 31 starts), Jose Berrios (3.60 ERA in 32 starts), Chris Bassitt (4.16 ERA in 31 starts) and Bowden Francis (3.30 ERA in 27 games, 13 starts). The move likely pushes pitchers Yariel Rodriguez (4.47 ERA in 21 starts) and fellow free-agent acquisition Jeff Hoffman (2.17 ERA in 68 relief appearances last season with the Philadelphia Phillies) to the Blue Jays’ bullpen after both had been under consideration to start in 2025.
Toronto had missed out on signing Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki (now with the Los Angeles Dodgers) just a few weeks earlier, putting Scherzer firmly on the map for the Blue Jays.
Overall, the value here is solid. A one-year deal is all Scherzer can likely command at this stage in his career, particularly when coming off an injury-riddled campaign. The hope is that Scherzer doesn’t have to be “the guy” in Toronto, allowing him to settle into the middle of the Blue Jays rotation, where he’s more likely to make an impact.
Health is undoubtedly a lingering issue for Scherzer, though. Over the last few seasons, Scherzer has dealt with a bevy of injuries, including back, shoulder and hamstring ailments last year alone. He has also experienced “dead arm” in recent postseason runs, which has limited his ability to contribute meaningfully in October.
None of these injuries appear to have deterred the Blue Jays from adding the three-time Cy Young winner, evidently.
All in all, the Blue Jays and Scherzer look like a good match on paper. But whether Toronto can contend in 2025 will determine whether the 40-year-old will actually spend the whole season in Canada.
