Insider Gives Blue Jays Surprisingly Low Chance To Retain Their Key Starter
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The Toronto Blue Jays recognized that this is their chance to win a World Series.
While they extended Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to keep him as the face of this franchise for the next decade-and-a-half, there also could be plenty of roster changes this upcoming winter, with Bo Bichette, Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt set to become free agents.
Deadline addition Shane Bieber also has a player option for the 2026 campaign. And even though the price tag for that is $16 million, he is expected to turn it in down as he seeks a long-term deal coming off his Tommy John surgery.
How the Blue Jays decide to operate during the offseason will be interesting to see, especially when it comes to fielding a formidable rotation and if they extend Bichette the megadeal he is projected to receive.
When it comes to the notable impending free agents, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com believes Toronto has a low chance of retaining at least one of those players on the open market when that time comes.
Blue Jays Given Low Chance To Re-Sign Max Scherzer
During an appearance on TSN, the team insider was asked about the chances that the Blue Jays will keep the future Hall of Famer around for another season in 2026 despite the fact he'll turn 42 years old in July.
Matheson doesn't think the percentage is high, stating, "Give me 30%. Give me a one-third-ish odds."
He went on to remind everyone that the success Toronto has had to this point in 2025 was largely predicted to not happen, with many preseason predictions having them finish anywhere from third to last in the AL East standings this year.
Because of that, both parties took a chance on each other, with the Blue Jays banking on Scherzer's previous form coming back despite him having an injury-riddled tenure with the Texas Rangers the past two seasons, while the veteran starter took a chance on Toronto being much better than the projections despite the fact his career is winding down.
Mad Max has gone 6+ innings in 7 of his last 8 starts 😤 pic.twitter.com/j0FeXYUeMs
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 26, 2025
It worked out for both, so it's a bit strange to hear Matheson state the odds of another deal getting worked out are so low. However, he did give some more color to his commentary, giving insight on what Scherzer is weighing heading into free agency again.
"He likes Toronto. He likes the money, of course, and the Blue Jays still going to have money. And he wanted a shot to win. He's not 31, he's 41. And you've only got so many cracks at this left," the insider added.
But that is a conversation for a later date. Because right now, the Blue Jays appear to be one of the premier teams in Major League Baseball with a rotation and offense good enough to win a World Series this year, which was the goal of everyone coming into the season.
