If the end has truly arrived for Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer, then he’s not showing his cards yet.
The three-time Cy Young winner pitched potentially his final game on Sunday, throwing seven-plus innings of one-run ball against the Reds. Not only did he strike out seven, but Scherzer refused to leave when John Schneider walked to the mound in the seventh.
Upon leaving the game to a raucous ovation, Scherzer briefly joined his family in the Rogers Centre stands.
“I wanted to have my family here and be able to see them and all the smiles on their faces,” Scherzer said. “It was just really cool all the way around.”
Next up for Scherzer remains to be seen. He’s a pending free agent who turned 42 this past July, and he didn’t commit to retiring or returning. Injuries helped limit him to a 5.46 ERA in 35 starts with the Blue Jays over the last two years, though he’ll likely be remembered far more for his postseason heroics last October.
So, which teams could be in the mix for Scherzer? Here’s what we’re thinking:
Honorable mention: Philadelphia Phillies
Nationals fans likely find this thought repulsive, and we don’t blame them. Seeing one of the greatest players in franchise history suit up for a division rival always feels icky, whether they’re in their prime or the final months of their career.
The most glaring issue here is that if the Phillies want to add another starter, even if it’s only signing someone on a one-year deal, then they could do far better than Scherzer. If not for his connection to lead baseball executive Dave Dombrowski, then we wouldn’t even consider Philadelphia for our list. The two overlapped in Detroit for five years, though their relationship briefly took a hit during contract negotiations in the spring of 2014.
Time heals most wounds, and the two parted relatively amicably. We honestly don’t see the Phillies targeting Scherzer, but the Dombrowski connection earned them an honorable mention.
Detroit Tigers
We already saw Verlander and the Tigers reunite, so what’s stopping them from doing the same with Scherzer? The future Hall of Famer rose to prominence in Detroit, going 82-35 with a 3.29 ERA from 2010-14. Verlander got much of the national love and attention, but Scherzer was arguably the game’s top No. 2 starter.
Let’s not also forget that Scherzer earned his first Cy Young Award with the Tigers, going 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA and a 240-56 K-BB ratio in 2013. We’ve previously noted that Detroit must add starting pitching depth this offseason, though the obvious con of signing their former All-Star is his lack of durability.
Toronto Blue Jays
Scherzer clearly felt comfortable enough with Toronto to rejoin them this past offseason, and there is no indication that he wants to move on. The Blue Jays also haven’t hinted they want to look in another direction, especially with Shane Bieber and Jameson Taillon both slated to hit free agency.
We wouldn’t be surprised if this is a simple “We want to keep this going, but what about you?” situation. If the best-case scenario is Scherzer staying healthy and offering competent pitching over 15-20 starts, then this might work.
San Francisco Giants
The Giants are admittedly the strangest option on this list, at least at face value. What caught our eye for this pairing, though, is lead baseball executive Buster Posey’s presence. They may not have played together in the regular season, but they’re certainly familiar with one enough from their shared National League days.
For those curious: Posey went 1-for-12 with an RBI and three strikeouts against Scherzer during the regular season. The playoffs were a different story, and the third-year catcher punctuated his 2012 MVP season by homering off Scherzer in a World Series-clinching victory that October. Fast forward nearly a decade, and Posey later went 1-for-3 with a single in his final game against Scherzer: Game 3 of the 2021 NLDS, when the latter was pitching for the Dodgers.
Now, keep in mind that Posey added Verlander ahead of the 2025 season. Could the Giants potentially replicate history and bring Scherzer back to the West Coast?
Washington Nationals
Home is where the heart is, and we imagine Scherzer will wear a Nationals logo on his Hall of Fame plaque. It was in Washington where the 2006 first-round pick went from above-average starting pitcher to a premier ace, and he departed in 2021 having all but ensured he’d earn a bronze plaque in Cooperstown.
Scherzer ranks fifth in franchise history in bWAR, and his 1,610 strikeouts trail only Stephen Strasburg (1,723) and Steve Rogers (1,621). Passing Strasburg is likely a tall task, but we’d love to see the three-time Cy Young winner close things out in Washington.
Assuming that Scherzer wears a Nationals hat on his Hall of Fame plaque, he’d technically be the first to do so. Every Hall of Famer with ties to the franchise either wore an Expos cap or that of another team.
Add us as a preferred source on Google