The Toronto Blue Jays have had an offseason in which they swung and miss on a bunch of top free agents. From Juan Soto to Corbin Burnes to Roki Sasaki. But the team finally got one of the top options, as they landed former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander on a five-year, $92.5 million.
While that is a big pickup, the Blue Jays are still looking to add. One name that they have significantly been linked to is former three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer.
This week, Scherzer held a workout for interested teams, and he received some solid reviews, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. In fact, Feinsand reports that while a number of teams are connected to Scherzer, the Blue Jays "appear to be the most serious about signing him."
If the Blue Jays are so serious about signing Scherzer, what would their starting rotation look like heading into Opening Day?
Blue Jays' Opening Day rotation if team signs Max Scherzer
Rotation Spot # | Pitcher | Throws |
|---|---|---|
1 | Kevin Gausman | Right |
2 | Jose Berrios | Right |
3 | Max Scherzer | Right |
4 | Chris Bassit | Right |
5 | Bowden Francis | Right |
As the source told Mark Feinsand, “his Cy Young days are definitely behind him, but he’s still good enough to be an effective starter.” With that, it's hard to envision Scherzer cracking the top of Toronto's starting rotation, especially since he is coming off of a season in which he pitched in just nine games due to injury.
Sitting in the No. 1 spot is Kevin Gausman, who has been solid for the Blue Jays since arriving in 2022. This past season, Gausman recorded a 3.83 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, a 14-11 win-loss record, 162 strikeouts, and 56 walks in 181.0 innings (31 starts).
Jose Berrios slots into the No. 2 spot in the rotation. Berrios had high expectations heading to Toronto after his trade from the Minnesota Twins. He settled in after a rough 2022 season and has been more consistent. In 32 starts, Berrios posted a 3.60 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, a 16-11 win-loss record, 153 strikeouts, and 54 walks in 192.1 innings.
We have Scherzer as the No. 3 pitcher in the rotation, ahead of Chris Bassit and Bowden Francis.
Bassit is coming off of a 2024 season where he recorded a 4.16 ERA and a 10-14 win-loss record. Francis, meanwhile, showed a lot of promise this past season, as he carried two near-no-hitters into the ninth inning. Francis recorded a 3.30 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP, 92 strikeouts, and 22 walks in 103.2 innings.
As you can see, the starting rotation is heavily right-handed. But with the AL East getting tougher, especially with the additions the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have made this offseason, the Blue Jays are looking to add the best options available in free agency.