Max Scherzer DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Toronto Blue Jays have signed free-agent right-handed pitcher Max Scherzer to a one-year contract worth $15.5 million. The Blue Jays have been linked to Scherzer throughout the offseason and have finally reached an agreement with the three-time Cy Young winner. Last summer, the 40-year-old was limited to just 43 1/3 innings of work due to shoulder fatigue and a hamstring strain. Across this stint, Scherzer held a 3.95 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP. He struck out 40 batters with a strong 5.6% walk rate. Scherzer has expressed that a healthy offseason will prepare him well for the 2025 campaign. In 2023, he posted a 3.77 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP with 174 punchouts across 152 2/3 innings of work. Fantasy managers should expect Scherzer to start the season in the rotation, which will likely push Yariel Rodriguez to a long-relief role.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand writes that the Toronto Blue Jays appear to be the most serious about signing free-agent right-hander Max Scherzer, according to sources. The three-time Cy Young winner would join righties Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios and Chris Bassitt in Toronto's starting rotation, which also has Bowden Francis and Yariel Rodriguez as options. Scherzer is a future Hall of Famer, but he's 40 years old and is coming off another injury-filled season in which he made only nine starts for the Texas Rangers, going 2-4 with a 3.95 ERA. He recently threw for teams in Florida, where one source said he looked good. Scherzer is unlikely to ever be a 200-inning workhorse again, but he could provide 140-150 quality innings in what could be his final season. "Toronto has been hot for him for about two months," one source said. "[The Blue Jays] certainly feel like the favorites to get him."

According to Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated, the New York Mets are interested in a reunion with free-agent starting pitcher Max Scherzer. Earlier this week, the three-time Cy Young winner threw for interested teams, with the Mets being one of them. Scherzer spent the entire 2022 and most of the 2023 season with the New York Mets before being traded to the Texas Rangers. In 2022, the right-hander logged 145 1/3 innings of work with a 2.29 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. He struck 173 batters and served up just 23 free passes. In 2023, he tossed 107 2/3 innings with a 4.01 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP before being traded to Texas. Scherzer was limited to just 43 innings last season due to numerous injuries but has expressed he has felt healthy all offseason and will see a normal workload during spring training.