How This Blue Jays Pitcher Slowly Became Sleeper in Free Agency

Is this Toronto Blue Jays free agent too underrated this offseason?

Oct 8, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; A view of a Toronto Blue Jays hat before game four of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays made a statement for themselves throughout their 2025 campaign and into the World Series — they are not a franchise to be underestimated. With that said, reaching the highly touted World Series is a team effort; it's never solely attributed to just one player.

Knowing this, it's hard to imagine that any Blue Jays' players have become sleepers in free agency, but somehow, someway, it happened. Toronto has been active this offseason, but it looks like one of their right-handers managed to slip under the radar.

Max Scherzer, a well-versed pitcher who has spent time around the map, was once considered one of the best pitchers in the Major Leagues. Unfortunately, his illustrious career seems to be in the past; "Mad Max" may have lost his touch.

Is Scherzer Underrated in Free Agency?

John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Scherzer, now 41, is no longer in his MLB prime. His poor performance in 2025, disrupted by both injury and inconsistency, was notably frustrating; he finished the season with an unsightly 5.19 ERA across 85.0 innings pitched, recording 82 strikeouts through 17 games.

Without a doubt, this was his most troublesome season in the Major Leagues. For reference, he logged a 3.95 ERA in 2024, a 3.77 in 2023 and a 2.29 in 2022. Year by year, his numbers seem to become increasingly concerning.

As noted by Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report, Scherzer is largely attached to an "if he can stay healthy" tagline at this point in his career. As a result, his journey through free agency this time around has been rather underwhelming. Miller described him as being an underrated free agent, but does he still have gas left in the tank?

The three-time Cy Young winner — 2013, 2016 and 2017 — is far from the player he once was. Of course, he could see a turnaround next year, but the likelihood of him returning to his prior form is slim. But as manager John Schneider previously stated, per Jared Greenspan of MLB.com, "He’s 41 and he’s still working on his craft."

Simply put, Scherzer set a high bar for himself early on in his career. Reaching that bar at this point in his career is unlikely, but not impossible. While it's true that he is an underrated free agent, his status can't be solely based on a player he once was — his recent performances matter the most to teams looking to sign.