Mad Max does not appear to be in any hurry to secure his 19th season in the big leagues.
Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer is content with waiting until after Opening Day to sign with a new team, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports this week. While Scherzer is said to be healthy and ready to sign at any moment if the right team calls, he is reportedly willing to wait for an opening to emerge with one of his preferred clubs.
Now 41 years old, Scherzer spent last season with the Toronto Blue Jays. He was not particularly effective during the regular season, posting a 5.19 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP over 17 starts (spanning just 85.0 total innings pitched).
But Scherzer was much more effective in the postseason for Toronto. He trimmed his numbers down to a 3.77 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP and was also the winning pitcher in the crucial Game 4 of the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners (a game in which Scherzer memorably screamed at manager John Schneider to keep him in the contest).
On top of that, Scherzer became a well-liked figure in the Blue Jays clubhouse as the team made it all the way to the World Series. In Game 5 of the World Series versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, Scherzer even had a very memorable moment while in the dugout.
Scherzer does already have two World Series rings in his career (with the Washington Nationals in 2019 and the Texas Rangers in 2023). But at his age, Scherzer, who was also brilliant during his start in Game 7 of the World Series against the Dodgers, is more than willing to wait for the right opportunity to materialize for him in 2026.
