Free-agent right-hander Max Scherzer and the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a one-year, $15.5 million contract, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Thursday.
The future Hall of Famer, who turned 40 last July, is coming off an injury-plagued season with the Texas Rangers in which he made just nine starts and went 2-4 with a 3.95 ERA. He didn't make his first start until June 23 following surgery in the offseason to repair a herniated disk in his back. He then missed all of August with shoulder fatigue, returning to make one start in September before a hamstring injury ended his season.
Once a durable workhorse who made 30-plus starts each season from 2009 through 2018, Scherzer has now missed significant time each of the past three seasons, making 23 starts in 2022 while missing time with an oblique strain and making 27 starts in 2023 due to a strained shoulder and back spasms.
When he did pitch, the stuff was diminished, even from the previous season. His fastball averaged 92.5 mph, the lowest of his career and down from 93.7 mph in 2023. His strikeout rate dropped to 22.6%, down from 28.0%, and well below his 2021-22 season, when he was over 30%. He allowed a .724 OPS, higher than the MLB average of .711.
