The 2025 season ended last night in heartbreak for the Blue Jays and their fans, but the future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer made it clear that yesterday’s gloomy note is not the note on which he wants to end his career. Scherzer was asked about his future and while he avoided details, he made it clear that he isn’t ready to call it quits just yet.
“All I can say is:” Scherzer told reporters, as relayed ESPN’s Jesse Rogers in the aftermath of last night’s match, “It will take some time to give a full answer to that, but it cannot be that this was my last pitch.”
Scherzer turned 41 in July and one wonders if the current season could be a player’s last, even in his late 30s. Fellow future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw concluded the final season of his career last night, after announcing prior to the postseason that he would not return in 2026 for what would have been his age-38 campaign. Questions about Scherzer’s future were especially understandable given the health issues he has faced in recent years. Although the three-time Cy Young Award winner was once one of the most durable pitchers in the entire sport, nerve problems in his hand and thumb have contributed to him making just 26 starts over the past two years. His performance has also declined in that time, with a 4.77 ERA and 4.72 FIP in 128 1/3 innings of work since the start of the 2024 season.
Even if Scherzer isn’t the surefire hitter he once was, he’s still a valuable pitcher and one that many teams would love to have on their roster. The veteran added 14 1/3 innings of 3.77 ERA baseball to his postseason resume during Toronto’s run and while his regular-season prevention numbers may have been mediocre, his peripherals indicate he’s still a solid starter. Scherzer’s 4.26 SIERA puts it on par with the performance of solid mid-rotation arms like Mitch Keller, Robbie RayAnd Yusei Kikuchi. His 16.5 K-BB% was at the same level as players want Carlos Rodon, Casey MizeAnd Kris Bubic. His 12.4% barrel rate this year is certainly a potential red flag, but a team that believes they can help Scherzer keep the ball off the barrel next year would certainly see Scherzer as a solid addition to their pitching staff.
Still, it’s likely that Scherzer’s ceiling in free agency figures is the one-year, $15.5 million contract he signed with Toronto last year after a nine-start campaign in 2024 with the Rangers. It’s possible he’ll have to shed that price tag after a second injury-shortened season, though his fellow future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander received a similar one-year, $15 million guarantee from the Giants last winter after a season in which he posted a 5.48 ERA in 17 starts, similar to Scherzer’s 5.19 ERA in that same number of starts. At this stage of his career, Scherzer will certainly prioritize competing in October as he looks for his next team. That could mean a return to the Blue Jays as both Scherzer and teammate Chris BassittThe club’s departure will leave room for the club to pursue additional rotation help.
However, Toronto is far from the only contender to start pitching this offseason. The Cubs, Padres, Red Sox and Astros all made the postseason this year and have already been linked to the starting pitching market. Meanwhile, teams like the Braves and Giants who missed the playoffs this year are still trying to compete next year and chase Scherzer from a similar position to the one the Blue Jays found themselves in this season. All of these clubs would be new for the veteran, but reunions with any of the Mets, Tigers and Diamondbacks are also at least plausible in addition to a return to the Jays.
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