Future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer he came out shortly after winning his third World Series ring before his Blue Jays fell to the Dodgers back in November, and the end of the 2025 season marked Scherzer’s third free agency in the past five years. Now 41 and eyeing his 42nd birthday this coming July, Scherzer is no longer the professional ace he once was. However, the right-handed batsman still believes that he can help a team in the right situation. The right-hander told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic recently that, while he is healthy and ready to sign if the right situation presents itself, he would be willing to sit out the start of the season and sign after Opening Day if that means finding his way to the team he loves.
Rosenthal made it clear that Scherzer hasn’t revealed which teams he’d like to play for, but it’s easy to imagine that Scherzer will prioritize playing for a team he believes has a decent shot at winning the World Series this year as he enters the prime of his career. While waiting to sign is always risky, Scherzer could prove to be a valuable asset to contending teams in need of depth at some point this year if he remains unsigned after Opening Day. Rosenthal compares Roger ClemensLast season in the majors, he didn’t sign until he was able to work out a deal with the Yankees in early May. The most recent player to take a similar route has been a righteous fool David Robertsonwho was entering his age 40 season last year and ended up signing anywhere until the second half, where he came with the Phillies and made 20 innings to bolster their bullpen.
Both of those comparisons show what teams should expect from Scherzer right now. Clemens pitched 99 innings for the Yankees in his age 44 campaign, posting a 4.18 ERA with a 4.14 FIP. That was the fifth-highest ERA of his 24-year career. Likewise, Robertson turned in a respectable but unspectacular 4.08 ERA and 4.95 FIP during his time with Philadelphia last season. For Scherzer, the righty will come off 17 starts for the Blue Jays where he sometimes looked like a regular and at other times looked like one would expect a pitcher in his early 40s with nearly 3000 mile innings on his arm to look. All of that added up to a 5.17 ERA and 4.99 FIP, though he managed to improve in the playoffs and compiled a 3.77 ERA in three starts against the Mariners and Dodgers.
Although Scherzer has indicated that he is determined to stick with the right group, that doesn’t mean he won’t be able to get a game before Spring Training starts next month. If we only look at teams that made the playoffs last year, the Brewers recently traded Freddy Peralta and he certainly won’t mind the veteran innings-spinner to pair with him Brandon Woodruff as the leader of their new staff. The Padres certainly couldn’t squeeze Scherzer into their rotation and push JP Sears in a deeper role. The Phillies will start the season with both pitchers Taijuan Walker and hope Andrew Painter in circulation. The Tigers are reportedly looking for a quarterback and could represent a homecoming treat for Scherzer, who won his first Cy Young Award with the team. Other teams like the Marlins and Athletics could also benefit from adding Scherzer, but those clubs may not be clear enough on paper to compete for the veteran jurzer.
