Blue Jays land 3-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer on 1-year, $15.5M US deal

The Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly signed right-handed pitcher Max Scherzer.

ESPN and the New York Post say the free agent and Toronto have agreed to a one-year deal worth $15.5 million US.

Scherzer, 40, spent last season with the Texas Rangers where he posted a 2-4 record with a 3.95 earned-run average and 40 strikeouts, but missed much of the campaign due to injuries.

The six-foot-three product of St. Louis, Mo., is a three-time Cy Young Award winner and a two-time World Series champion, having won with the Rangers in 2023 and the Washington Nationals in 2019.

His career regular-season record stands at 216-112 with a 3.16 ERA and 3,407 strikeouts.

Scherzer joins a rotation that is fronted by Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios and Chris Bassitt. The Blue Jays also have Bowden Francis coming off an impressive rookie season and Yariel Rodriguez, who signed a $32 million, five-year contract last February.

The addition of Scherzer marks a second notable move for Toronto after it finalized a $92.5 million, five-year contract with outfielder Anthony Santander on Jan. 20.

The Blue Jays made a play for Shohei Ohtani last year and were in the mix for Juan Soto before he joined the New York Mets in December. The Blue Jays also were reportedly one of the finalists for Roki Sasaki before the Japanese pitcher signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Scherzer became a free agent after he completed a $130 million, three-year contract. He agreed to the deal with the Mets in November 2021, but he was traded to Texas in July 2023.

Scherzer is 216-112 with a 3.16 ERA in 466 career games over 17 seasons, including 457 starts. He also has 3,407 strikeouts in 2,878 innings.

He ranks second among active pitchers in strikeouts, wins and innings, trailing former teammate Justin Verlander in each category.