Mad Max is back in familiar territory for Year 19.
The Toronto Blue Jays and Max Scherzer are in agreement on a one-year deal for the 2026 season.
Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi reports that the deal carries a base salary of $3 million and includes up to $10 million in incentives.
Jon Heyman of The New York Post was first to report the agreement.
Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reported last week that talks between the Blue Jays and Scherzer were getting more serious, further adding that the two sides were discussing a one-year deal.
Scherzer pitched for the Blue Jays last season and made three starts in the playoffs, including Game 7 of the World Series. The two-time World Series champion will return for another crack at a pennant after falling just short — he pitched 14.1 innings, racking up 11 strikeouts with a 3.77 ERA and a 1.256 WHIP in his three post-season starts.
Over 85 regular-season innings, he collected 82 strikeouts with a 5.19 ERA and a 1.294 WHIP.
Scherzer is set to turn 42 midway through the 2026 season and is the second-oldest active player behind fellow Hall of Fame-bound starter Justin Verlander, who signed with the Detroit Tigers on Feb. 10.
Scherzer has spent time with seven different franchises, notably the Tigers, the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In 2,963 career innings, the eight-time all-star has recorded 3,489 strikeouts, which sits 11th all-time in MLB history.
The move only further boosts the Blue Jays’ rotation, which figures to be one of the team’s biggest strengths. Scherzer joins returning starters Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage and Eric Lauer in a rotation that now also features Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce.
