Blue Jays Sign Max Scherzer to Bolster Pitching Rotation

The Toronto Blue Jays have been very active since losing out on free-agent pitcher Roki Sasaki.

In the wake of Sasaki’s decision to join the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Blue Jays have acquired a handful of players — including pitcher Jeff Hoffman, outfielder Myles Straw, and slugger Anthony Santander. Earlier in the offseason, Toronto also traded for infielder Andres Gimenez.

Well, you can add Max Scherzer’s name to the list.

The veteran starting pitcher inked a deal with the Jays on Thursday afternoon. As reported by Jon Heyman, Scherzer agreed to a 1-year deal with $15.5 million. It’s expected that Scherzer will immediately join Toronto’s starting rotation which also features the likes of Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Bowden Francis, Chris Bassit, and tentatively Alek Manoah.

Scherzer gives Toronto some further cover in the rotation. He also brings with him a wealth of experience. At age 40, the future Hall of Famer made only nine starts a season ago for the Texas Rangers. Now fully healthy, he had a showcase workout where several teams, including the Blue Jays, were present.

With Scherzer on the books, the Blue Jays are continuing to tinker with their roster. Some reports insist that Toronto is aiming to sign Alex Bregman to a possible 6-year deal. At the same time, the team is trying to come to an agreement with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a contract extension.