Blue Jays Reportedly in Significant Talks for Reunion with Free Agent Pitcher
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The Toronto Blue Jays went into the offseason determined to put out an elite pitching staff, and that is the way they approached free agents by committing hundreds of millions to the starting rotation.
Between adding Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce as well as retaining Shane Bieber, things looked to be in strong shape there. However, as is so often the case, when spring training arrived, so did the injury bug and the depth for Toronto has taken a major hit.
Bowden Francis is out for the season, and while Bieber's fatigue injury is a bit more of a mystery, it does seem like he is going to miss at least some time as well. In the wake of all this, the Blue Jays look once again like they need pitching help, and as a result, they have restarted talks with one of their free agents.
According to a Friday report from Ben Nicholson-Smith of SportsNet, Toronto has re-engaged free agent veteran Max Scherzer over the last week in talks of a possible reunion, with them currently as the "most serious pursuer" for a one-year deal.
Blue Jays Going After Scherzer Makes Perfect Sense
With Bieber potentially on the shelf and the back end of the rotation looking like a major question mark, Scherzer is the perfect available target to help Toronto get some insurance in that area.
By all accounts, the future Hall of Famer was content to wait until after the start of the regular season to sign with a team, but getting him in the building with still plenty of runway left in spring training would be a much more ideal outcome.
While there were question marks and injuries during his age 41 season, Scherzer proved in the playoffs he can still get it done, and the team should welcome him back with open arms.
Blue Jays Saw Highs and Lows from Scherzer in 2025
It was a rough go of it for Scherzer for a lot of the season, but in August, he began to flash why he was brought in. Over six starts that month, he had a 3.34 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with a 4-1 record, helping Toronto eventually clinch the division title.
When October rolled around, he had a 3.77 ERA over three starts including a great effort in Game 7 of the World Series, however the way the offseason played out, it did not look like he would be needed to be brought back.
Clearly, things have changed since then and with Scherzer capable of helping a big league staff, a reunion would make the most sense for all parties involved. Time will tell if it actually gets done, but clearly the Blue Jays are pushing to make it happen.
Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.