Spring Training hasn’t even begun, but the Toronto Blue Jays already boast one of MLB’s deepest and most formidable rotations. Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce have joined forces with Kevin Gausman, José BerrÃos, Shane Bieber, and the rising star Trey Yesavage — theoretically, this is a team with no room for nostalgia.
Yet, the name Max Scherzer still hangs in the Toronto sky.
At nearly 42, the Mad Max is no longer the untouchable icon of a decade ago. In the 2025 season, he threw 5.17 ERA in 17 games, missing a significant amount of time due to a finger injury. But when October arrived, Scherzer was still there — three playoff games, 3.77 ERA — and notably, Game 7 of the World Series, the last game a pitcher wearing a Blue Jays jersey ever started.
Since then, Toronto has changed a great deal. They spend heavily on pitching, they don’t cling to emotions, and they’ve let many pending free agents go without hesitation. On the surface, there’s no urgent reason to bring Scherzer back.
But the problem is: the Blue Jays understand better than anyone that pitching depth on paper is never the same as pitching depth in reality.
In the 2025 season, they used 15 different starters to reach the World Series. Not just the names in their Plan A. That included Easton Lucas, Paxton Schultz, José Ureña, Spencer Turnbull, Eric Lauer, Bowden Francis — even Yariel RodrÃguez was once pulled out of his familiar role. As the season drags on, things that “shouldn’t happen” always do happen.
Entering 2026, the risks haven’t disappeared. BerrÃos just had a season struggling with fitness. Shane Bieber remains a question mark after Tommy John. Trey Yesavage, despite his talent, was still just a 23-year-old rookie before a season of immense pressure. And Bowden Francis—starter or bullpen—was still an unanswered question.
In that picture, Scherzer was no longer seen as a key player. He was Plan B… or C… or D. But it was a plan where you knew exactly what you were getting: experience, competitive intensity, and a voice in the clubhouse that no one could impersonate.
The Dodgers’ treatment of Clayton Kershaw in the twilight of his career was an inevitable comparison. A short-term contract. Low expectations for innings. But value far beyond the statistics. Scherzer, like Kershaw, wasn’t in a hurry either. He was willing to wait until after Opening Day. He just wanted a team that truly had a chance to win a championship.
And Toronto—though they didn’t say it out loud—was in that group.
The question wasn’t whether the Blue Jays needed Max Scherzer. The question is: when things start to fall apart, when rotation faces very human limitations, do they want someone who has once stood at the very top to lean on?
Scherzer won’t be throwing 200 innings. Maybe he’s no longer dominant. But sometimes, in a season decided by moments as thin as a thread, the real value lies in who has survived those moments.
Toronto hasn’t closed the door. And Mad Max… is still waiting.
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