Talks Intensify Between Scherzer and Toronto![\"Oct](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/277d531eb024940035e46df4612565eb.jpeg\"\/)
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Oct 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31) reacts in the dugout after being relieved in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game three of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
Sources familiar with the situation indicate that discussions between the Blue Jays and Scherzer have \u201cgotten more serious\u201d in the past week, even though no deal has been finalized yet. According to industry insiders, both sides are actively negotiating a one-year contract that would return Scherzer to the organization after his standout \u2014 and emotional \u2014 role in last season\u2019s pennant chase.<\/p>\n
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Despite Scherzer\u2019s free-agent status and interest from other clubs, the feeling around the league is that Toronto appears to be leading the race, with renewed efforts to get him signed before Opening Day.<\/p>\n
Why This Reunion Makes Sense<\/p>\n
Scherzer\u2019s first season with the Blue Jays in 2025 was a roller-coaster ride. Though he battled injuries and posted a 5.19 ERA across 17 starts, he still demonstrated competitiveness and strong outings when healthy, including solid performances in the postseason.<\/p>\n
More importantly, his presence in the clubhouse and postseason veteran experience are seen as intangible assets for a team with high expectations. Toronto already boasts a formidable rotation featuring stars like Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, Jos\u00e9 Berr\u00edos, and Cody Ponce, but adding Scherzer would deepen that group even further \u2014 especially as pitchers like Shane Bieber continue ramping up this spring after injuries.<\/p>\n
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A Calculated Approach to Spring![\"Nov](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/11487c45ce76c24e4fca4145e4b98d75.jpeg\"\/)
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Nov 1, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31) pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning during game seven of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
If the Blue Jays do finalize a reunion, sources say Toronto may opt to ease Scherzer back into the rotation gradually. Potentially targeting a later debut in late April or May to manage innings and preserve his effectiveness over the season. This cautious approach reflects both his age (41) and the organization\u2019s desire to optimize his contribution without overworking him early.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead <\/a>\u2014<\/p>\n OLYMPICS: Team USA flag bearers revealed for 2026 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony<\/a><\/p>\n MLB: Detroit Tigers drop unreal alternate jerseys for 2026 MLB season<\/a><\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n NBA: Charlotte Hornets share update after LaMelo Ball\u2019s car crash<\/a><\/p>\n NHL: 2026 Winter Olympics men\u2019s hockey, NHL payrolls for final four teams<\/a><\/p>\n SPORTS MEDIA: Olympics reporter apologizes for drinking, slurring words during live segment<\/a><\/p>\n The post Blue Jays are close to bringing back World Series champion and Cy Young award winning pitcher<\/a> appeared first on The Big Lead<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As Spring Training gets underway and the countdown to the 2026 MLB season continues, the buzz around Max…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":584873,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[5,10234,54086,53,76,387,389,76429,57,381,4,8080,3285,1271,1414,282,70,5196],"class_list":{"0":"post-584872","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mlb","8":"tag-baseball","9":"tag-charlotte-hornets","10":"tag-cody-ponce","11":"tag-detroit-tigers","12":"tag-dylan-cease","13":"tag-jose-berrios","14":"tag-kevin-gausman","15":"tag-lamelo-ball","16":"tag-los-angeles-dodgers","17":"tag-max-scherzer","18":"tag-mlb","19":"tag-mlb-world-series","20":"tag-rogers-centre","21":"tag-shane-bieber","22":"tag-the-blue-jays","23":"tag-toronto","24":"tag-toronto-blue-jays","25":"tag-trey-yesavage"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116109014572136519","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584872","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=584872"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584872\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/584873"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=584872"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=584872"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=584872"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}