The Toronto Blue Jays have already made two shakeups to their starting staff for the 2026 season. Bowden Francis is gone for a year because he has to undergo Tommy John surgery. And Shane Bieber will begin the season on the injured list due to arm soreness.
Enter: Mad Max?
According to a Friday report from Blue Jays beat writer Ben Nicholson-Smith, negotiations between the Jays and free agent starter Max Scherzer have become "more serious" in the past week. Toronto is now the frontrunner to secure his services so they can run it back with the defending AL champs.
Hints of such a scenario surfaced earlier this week, when we shared a report from insider Ken Rosenthal, who suggested that Scherzer's return north of the border was something he could see happening.
Scherzer and Jez getting 'serious' in talks
Even Mad Max had given some hints earlier in the offseason, consistently referring to the Jays as "us" in an interview, even though he was a free agent.
Scherzer, now 41, struggled to a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts in his first season with Toronto last year. But he performed as expected in the playoffs from a three-time Cy Young winner, posting a 3.77 ERA in three starts.
It looks like the good vibes from Scherzer and Jays could carry over again in 2026.
