The Toronto Blue Jays and three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer have agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract. The deal includes performance incentives that could raise his earnings by up to $10 million, beginning at 65 innings pitched. MLB Network was first to report Scherzer’s agreement with Toronto.
A former first-round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Scherzer rose to prominence with the Detroit Tigers before starring in Washington and later earning a second ring with Texas in 2023. An eight-time All-Star with 221 career wins and a 3.22 ERA, Scherzer ranks 11th all-time with 3,489 strikeouts — just 20 shy of Hall of Famer Walter Johnson.
Scherzer first signed with Toronto on a one-year, $15.5 million deal ahead of the 2025 season and quickly became a clubhouse presence as much as a rotation piece. Now entering his 19th major league season at age 41, Scherzer returns to the reigning American League champions after playing a pivotal role in their postseason surge last fall. Though Toronto fell just short in a dramatic Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Scherzer helped push the series to the brink. He delivered 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball in the decisive game, exiting with a standing ovation and a narrow lead before the Dodgers ultimately prevailed in 11 innings.
Scherzer also earned a key victory in Game 4 of the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners, marking his first postseason win since capturing a championship with the Washington Nationals in 2019. Across three playoff starts, he posted a 3.77 ERA over 14 1/3 innings, proving he can still rise to October’s biggest moments.
During the regular season, Scherzer made 17 starts, going 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA across 85 innings. Durability has become more of a challenge in his 40s — he logged 43 1/3 innings with the Texas Rangers in 2024 before increasing his workload in Toronto last year — but the Blue Jays don’t need him to shoulder a full-season burden.
The decision to keep Scherzer appears to resonate beyond the clubhouse; in a letter shared online by his wife, Erica May, Scherzer’s daughter expressed her wish for another season in Toronto: “Dear Blue Jays, I am so sorry that you didn’t win the World Series. I hope that you win next time. I hope my dad is back on the team. My whole family loves spending time in Toronto with our dad. We loved the aquarium, CN Tower and of course, the stadium. I am looking forward to coming back next season. Love, Max Scherzer’s daughter.”
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