Max Scherzer is joining the Toronto Blue Jays, agreeing to a $15.5 million, one-year contract Thursday, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced and was pending a physical.
The 40-year-old Scherzer was limited to nine starts with Texas last year, going 2-4 with a 3.95 ERA. The three-time Cy Young Award winner opened the season on the injured list while he recovered from lower back surgery. He also was on the IL from Aug. 2 to Sept. 13 because of shoulder fatigue, and he missed the end of the season because of a left hamstring strain.
Scherzer joins a rotation that is fronted by Kevin Gausman, José Berríos and Chris Bassitt. The Blue Jays also have Bowden Francis coming off an impressive rookie season and Yariel Rodríguez, who signed a $32 million, five-year contract last February.
The Blue Jays finished last in the AL East with a 74-88 record in 2024. They haven’t won a playoff game since they were eliminated by Cleveland in the 2016 AL Championship Series. They were swept in the wild-card round in 2020, 2022 and 2023.
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.
