"The Blue Jays have maintained some interest in Max Scherzer throughout the winter, and talks between the two sides have become more serious over the past week, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. There's no deal in place, and there are still other clubs hoping to sign the future Hall of Famer, but Toronto has apparently hastened its efforts to get the three-time Cy Young winner back to the Rogers Centre."
"Scherzer, 41, spent the 2025 season with the Jays after signing a one-year, $15.5MM deal in free agency last winter. Repeated injuries pertaining to his thumb and a nerve in his right arm limited 85 big league innings in the regular season, during which he posted a career-worst 5.19 ERA. However, Scherzer still fanned a roughly average 22.9% of opponents against a tidy 6.4% walk rate."
"Much of the damage against Scherzer came in one nightmare start, where he surrendered seven runs in two-thirds of an inning in his penultimate appearance of the season. He had a 4.48 ERA across his other 16 starts. Obviously, any pitcher looks better if you toss out his worst appearance of a season, and even that 4.48 mark isn't great, but Scherzer was at least serviceable for much of the season."
The Blue Jays have intensified pursuit of 41-year-old Max Scherzer and engaged in more serious talks recently, though no deal exists and other teams remain interested. Scherzer pitched for Toronto in 2025 on a one-year, $15.5MM deal but dealt with thumb and right-arm nerve injuries that limited him to 85 regular-season innings and a career-worst 5.19 ERA. He still recorded a 22.9% strikeout rate and a 6.4% walk rate. Most damage came in one disastrous start; otherwise he posted a 4.48 ERA in 16 starts and a 3.77 ERA across three postseason starts. Toronto already projects significant rotation depth and faces short-term uncertainty with Shane Bieber starting the year on the injured list.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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