Max Scherzer has agreed to return to the Toronto Blue Jays on a one-year, $3 million deal after helping them reach the World Series last year, a league source told The Athletic early Thursday.
The contract includes $10 million in incentives that start at 65 innings pitched and no-trade protection, according to the source.
This season will be Scherzer’s 19th overall in the majors, and the 41-year-old proved he can still perform at the highest level with three solid postseason starts amid the Blue Jays’ quest for a 2025 World Series title. His durability and consistency aren’t what they once were, but the future Hall of Famer, who has won 221 games, three Cy Young Awards and two championships, still holds a commanding clubhouse presence and the ability to perform when healthy.
After finishing the regular season with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts, Scherzer posted a 3.77 mark in three October outings. He started Toronto’s Game 7 loss in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, allowing just one run in 4 1/3 innings. After finally figuring out the thumb issues that had plagued him for the previous three seasons and producing in the postseason, Scherzer became determined to pitch again in 2026.
“I just don’t see how that’s the last pitch I’ve ever thrown,” Scherzer said after the Game 7 loss.
Scherzer spent much of the first half of 2025 on the injured list, receiving shots in his injured thumb. The issue, Scherzer said, caused soreness up his arm and in his shoulder, making it impossible to pitch deep into games. After returning in late June, Scherzer pitched at least five innings in 10 of his first 11 starts back. He recorded a 3.34 ERA in six August outings, including four quality starts, before a disastrous September inflated his 2025 numbers ahead of the postseason.
The right-hander could seek a similar path this year, taking the first couple of months to ramp up before joining Toronto for the summer and potential October outings. He’ll give the Jays, at the very least, more established starting depth alongside Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, José Berríos, Cody Ponce, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage and Eric Lauer.
Even with durability questions for some of its current starters, Toronto is at the point where it may trade away starting options, especially if a player wants a guaranteed rotation job. The Jays could also hold onto all their arms — they needed 15 different pitchers to start games last year — and use the depth to give starters regular rest. For Scherzer, that rest could be key to another successful October.
He no longer flashes the consistency that lifted him to Cy Young Awards in his prime, but Scherzer’s upside is clear. Even entering his 19th season, Scherzer can take the ball in a big game, yell his manager off the mound and help a contending team.
