The Toronto Blue Jays and RHP Max Scherzer are reportedly in agreement on a one year contract that guarantees Scherzer $15.5 million, pending a physical. Scherzer is coming off of a season in which he didn’t pitch much due to injury, but despite his shortened 2024 stint, his career accolades are legendary. The future first-ballot Hall of Famer has almost 3,000 innings to his name while maintaining a career 3.16 ERA, receiving three Cy Young Awards, winning two World Series, and pitching his way to second among active pitchers in strikeouts with 3,407, trailing only Justin Verlander who has a mark of 3,416. The question for the Blue Jays is this: What does the forty year-old Scherzer still have left in the tank?
An Up and Down 2024
Scherzer only pitched 43 & 1/3 innings in 2024, as he was recovering from offseason back surgery. Although he was able to return in the backend of the campaign, he was still plagued with nerve issues, fatigue, and strains. Despite the injuries, there is still much to be excited for Blue Jays fans, as his numbers in moments when he was able to pitch are spectacular.
While it was a small sample size, there is no doubt that he was spectacular when he could pitch. Even if his ERA looks subpar, he was able to generate weak contact with his 34.9% HardHit%, which would assist the 29th-ranked Toronto pitching staff in Team HardHit%. His numbers show that somewhere inside him he still has the strikeout capabilities that resulted in him winning three Cy Young Awards. Scherzer’s recent injury history could be scary for the Blue Jays, but there is no doubt that he will deliver quality innings when he does pitch. Before last season, Scherzer was one of the most durable pitchers in the sport. He had a streak from 2009 to 2023 in which he made at least 27 starts and threw 145 innings in each season. Perhaps 2024 will be an outlier when it comes to an otherwise incredibly sturdy career.
Where Does “Mad” Max Scherzer Fit?
When it comes to the value of the deal, there’s no such thing as a bad one-year deal. Scherzer got around the same money as other veteran pitchers, such as Justin Verlander (1 yr, $15 million) and Charlie Morton (1 yr, $15 million), so it’s pretty fair to say it was a good deal for the Blue Jays. Scherzer will slot into the middle of the rotation and deliver crucial innings.
More On The Horizon?
What’s next for Toronto? The Blue Jays seem to be a power bat away from a dangerous team for the 2025 season. Along with Scherzer, they have so far signed OF Anthony Santander, RHP Jeff Hoffman, and RHP Yimi Garcia. They have also traded for Andres Gimenez and Myles Straw. Their bullpen is taking shape, along with a seemingly-complete starting rotation. The Blue Jays have been linked to both 1B Pete Alonso and 3B Alex Bregman. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Toronto has already extended a 6-year deal to Bregman, while Alonso has reportedly been a close friend with Max Scherzer. Perhaps the Blue Jays can take a look at the trade front, specifically at CHW OF Luis Robert Jr. or STL 3B Nolan Arenado. Either way, there are plenty of options for the Blue Jays to fill in the holes in their lineup.
Making An Impact
Max Scherzer is a proven winner with an accomplished career. This experience, nonetheless quality experience, could assist in the development of other young starting pitchers on the Blue Jays, specifically Bowden Francis and Alek Manoah. Overall, Scherzer is a definite step in the right direction for a Blue Jays team that could be threatening to the American League and potentially the entire MLB this season.