It’s not often that a three-time Cy Young winner and two-time World Series champion is hanging out there in free agency as major league camps get underway.
But Max Scherzer, 41, is still without a contract for 2026. He very nearly had his third World Series ring as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays last season.
Insider Ken Rosenthal has given us the latest on Mad Max’s free agency on the Foul Territory podcast.
I spoke with Max Scherzer… And he said he is willing to sign with the right team right now. He’s ready to go, he’s healthy, he’s good. But he’s not going to sign with just any team who makes him an offer, he wants the right team. There are certain teams that he has in mind. And if he doesn’t hear a good enough offer from one of those teams, then he’s willing to wait until after the season begins.
But Rosenthal then goes on to suggest that a scenario that is already beginning to unfold, could find Mad Max landing back in Toronto. Once injuries start to hit pitching staffs around the majors this spring, teams will start getting a little more desperate for some depth for their rotations.
And it just so happens that the Blue Jays have already suffered a couple of blows. It was recently announced that Bowden Francis will be undergoing UCL reconstruction surgery on his right elbow. He suffered what’s being called “an acute injury” while throwing a pitch during his ramp-up to spring training.
Additionally, it was revealed that Shane Bieber will start the season on the injured list. His spring ramp-up will be delayed due to right forearm inflammation. Manager John Schneider said it’s been bothering him since the end of the World Series.
Is a Max Scherzer reunion with Blue Jays still in the cards?
All of this could mean that the Jays could still be paying a call to Scherzer, says Rosenthal.
You see his former team, the Toronto Blue Jays, a team that he loved pitching for. They’ve got some issues with pitchers getting hurt already. Bowden Francis is out for the season. Shane Bieber, we knew when he opted-in… exercised his player option, you almost knew something was up.
So they’ve got some physical concerns, and I’m sure at some point, if it gets more acute for them, they’ll be more interested in Max Scherzer.
Of course, the Jays won’t be the only team to suffer pitching injuries this spring or as the season gets underway. A Scherzer reunion is no guarantee. But one more staffer going down for John Schneider & Co. could mean a Mad Max return is not far off.
Scherzer had a difficult regular season in Toronto, between injuries and underperformance. He had a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts. But he came through big-time in the playoffs, posting a 3.77 ERA in three starts.
