Veteran right‑hander Max Scherzer says he’ll throw in the upcoming lockout games to test his body and decide on a 2027 comeback, he told Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
In his final Blue Jays appearance, Scherzer delivered seven innings of one‑run ball with seven strikeouts against the Reds, a performance that felt like a proper send‑off amid a buzzing Toronto crowd.
The outing came on short rest in a game that mattered little for standings, yet Scherzer appeared driven to close the gap with longtime rival Justin Verlander on the strikeout list, finishing just three punchouts shy at 3,557 and climbing from ninth to eighth place.
At 41, Scherzer battled forearm, ankle and back issues, missing time throughout the season. He logged 84 2/3 innings, a workload nearly identical to his 2025 campaign with Toronto.
His numbers read like a warning sign: a 5.74 ERA over 18 starts, a 5.19 xFIP and a 5.01 SIERA. Still, the final stretch was respectable, with a 4.16 ERA over his last dozen outings and a solid 3.56 xERA. In my view, that late‑season surge proves he’s still a threat.
He didn’t sign until March last year, joining a Blue Jays rotation plagued by injuries that turned disastrous. A lockout could reshuffle timing, but a similar late‑offseason deal with a starter‑hungry club makes sense. Will he sign with a rotation in need and surprise us next spring?