Max Scherzer has agreed to a one-year, $15.5 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, as reported by a source with direct knowledge of the deal. The 40-year-old pitcher had a limited season with the Texas Rangers in 2024, making only nine starts and finishing with a 2-4 record and a 3.95 ERA due to various injuries.
Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, will be joining a Blue Jays rotation that includes Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, and Chris Bassitt. The team also has promising young pitchers like Bowden Francis and Yariel Rodríguez.
The Blue Jays, who finished last in the AL East with a 74-88 record in 2024, are looking to improve their performance. They have not won a playoff game since 2016 and were eliminated in the wild-card round in 2020, 2022, and 2023.
This signing comes after the Blue Jays secured outfielder Anthony Santander on a five-year, $92.5 million deal earlier in January. The team had also pursued other notable players like Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto in the past.
Scherzer, who became a free agent after completing a $130 million, three-year contract, won his second World Series championship with the Rangers last season. He previously won a World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019.
Throughout his 17-season career, Scherzer has amassed an impressive record of 216-112 with a 3.16 ERA in 466 games. He has recorded 3,407 strikeouts in 2,878 innings, ranking second among active pitchers in strikeouts, wins, and innings.
Selected in the first round of the 2006 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, Scherzer made his MLB debut in 2008. He earned his first Cy Young Award in 2013 with the Detroit Tigers and followed it up with back-to-back NL Cy Young Awards in 2016 and 2017 while playing for the Nationals.
With this latest addition, the Blue Jays are hoping that Scherzer's experience and talent will help bolster their pitching staff and lead them to a successful season ahead.
