Report: Blue Jays contemplating Scherzer reunion
The Toronto Blue Jays are interested in re-signing future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer for his 19th season, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
The 41-year-old Scherzer is reportedly back on the Blue Jays' radar after the club made a late run at Framber Valdez before the left-hander agreed to a deal with the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.
However, Toronto doesn't have a clear need for Scherzer in its rotation after adding Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce this offseason to a group that already includes Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, and José Berríos.
Bieber opted into his 2026 player option in November after he was widely expected to test free agency following a successful return from Tommy John surgery in August. In December, though, the Blue Jays cast some doubt on the 2020 AL Cy Young's status for Opening Day, announcing that he's dealing with forearm fatigue.
Another potential question mark is Yesavage's workload for his upcoming rookie season after the 22-year-old logged a combined 139 2/3 innings between the minors and majors last year.
Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young winner, authored a career-worst 5.19 ERA with 1.29 WHIP and 8.7 K/9 over 85 innings (17 starts) in 2025. Despite his struggles, the eight-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion made multiple big playoff starts for the Blue Jays, including Game 4 of the ALCS and Game 7 of the Fall Classic.