Toronto Blue Jays Reportedly Targeting Future Hall of Fame Pitcher Max Scherzer

The Toronto Blue Jays have shown interest in free agent starting pitcher Max Scherzer, Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith reported Sunday.

As it stands, Nicholson-Smith believes joining the Blue Jays could be a "tough sell" for Scherzer, a 40-year-old future Hall of Famer looking to bolster his resume. However, if Toronto can land either Anthony Santander or Pete Alonso, maybe that will convince Scherzer that they are serious about contending in 2025.

Scherzer spent the last season-and-a-half with the Texas Rangers, although injuries limited him to just 17 regular season starts with the team. He made $130 million over the last three years, thanks to the record-breaking contract he signed with the New York Mets in December 2021.

Spotrac has calculated Scherzer's current market value to be $15.2 million over just one season, while MLB Trade Rumors predicted in November that he would sign for one year and $16 million. That kind of deal could make sense for Scherzer, especially considering Justin Verlander got $15 million from the San Francisco Giants earlier this month.

The Blue Jays have been going after starting pitching all offseason long, initially whiffing on Max Fried and Corbin Burnes before also losing out on Roki Sasaki this past weekend. Toronto already has a five-man rotation in place – Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, José Berríos, Bowden Francis and Yariel Rodríguez – but management seems intent on moving Rodríguez to the bullpen.

Scherzer would certainly bring some juice to the group, having racked up 216 wins, 3,407 strikeouts and a 74.5 WAR with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Mets and Rangers. The eight-time All-Star has three Cy Young Awards under his belt – not to mention his five other top-five finishes – with a 3.16 ERA, 1.078 WHIP and 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

While it remains to be seen if Scherzer can reach those heights in his twilight years, he has still posted a 3.81 ERA, 1.128 WHIP, 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings and a 3.6 WAR over the last two seasons. That production would be welcome in the Blue Jays' rotation, especially if Scherzer brings an even higher ceiling to the table.

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