TORONTO – Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins says the arrival of veteran pitcher Max Scherzer can have an impact on and off the sector.
But Atkins, also the Jays executive vice-president of baseball operations, says the 40-year-old Scherzer brings greater than three Cy Young Awards, two World Series wins and a slew of other accolades.
“There aren’t many individuals in the sport which have greater than Max does,” he said. “It’s not about that. It’s about how he got to the accomplishments … When someone has an elite level of competitiveness, that raises the bar for others. It’s something in skilled sport that is tough to quantify but you may actually feel it.”
“He’s going to boost the bar for all of us here and that actually includes me,” he added.
Scherzer, an eight-time all-star who has signed a one-year US$15.5-million contract with the Jays, is coming off an injury-disrupted season with Texas but says he is correct where he must be ahead of spring training.
“I’ve had a superb off-season to date. I’ve been capable of do every part normally. I’m trying to come into spring training at full tilt,” he told a virtual availability Friday.
And he believes he has lots to supply the Jays.
“I still feel like I can pitch at a really high level. I can still compete at a high level,” he said. “And be a part of a championship-calibre team. And so for me, that’s a lot fun. I like having the ability to go on the market and pitch, love having the ability to compete.
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“I form of put all of the accolades and all that form of stuff within the rear-view mirror and just deal with what can I do that yr. What more can I do that yr and just go on the market and proceed to win.”
Scherzer welcomed the possibility to return to the East Coast, saying it makes it easy to commute to the family home in Florida where his kids are in class.
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And Toronto offers “a likelihood to compete to win.”
“I’m not only playing to play. I need to play to win at the top of the day. So I actually feel like Toronto offered that.”
He also got some positive intel on the franchise from Chris Bassitt, a former teammate with the Mets, and others.
The six-foot-three right-hander slots into a probable Toronto starting rotation of Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Bassitt and Bowden Francis.
Scherzer’s profession record is 216 wins and 112 losses with a 3.16 ERA and three,407 strikeouts in a protracted and winding MLB road that saw previous stops with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Recent York Mets and Texas Rangers.
Scherzer was traded to the Rangers in July 2023 by the Mets, who signed him to a three-year, US$140-million contract. His previous deal was a seven-year, US$210-million contract with Washington before the 2015 season.
His profession includes World Series wins with Washington in 2019 and Texas in 2023.
Scherzer opened last season on the injured list after off-season back surgery. He ended up making just nine starts for the Rangers, posting a 2-4 record with a 3.95 earned-run average before his season resulted in September when he was placed on the injured list with a hamstring strain.
On the time, he called it “probably probably the most frustrating season of my profession.”
It marked his fewest starts in a full season since his 2008 rookie yr (seven starts, 16 total games).
Last month, Toronto announced the arrival of Venezuelan all-star outfielder Anthony Santander, formerly of the Baltimore Orioles, on a five-year US$92.5-million contract.
Other additions are right-hander Jeff Hoffman, formerly with Cleveland, on a three-year, US$33-million contract, second baseman Andrés Giménez, right-hander Nick Sandlin and outfielder Myles Straw (all via trade from Cleveland), and left-hander Josh Walker, who divided last season between the Mets and Pittsburgh, on a one-year US$760,000 contract.
Right-hander Yimi García, who split last season between Toronto and Seattle, returns on a two-year, US$15-million contract.
“We’re very confident that it is a superb group of players that we stay up for jelling and stay up for winning a variety of baseball games,” said Atkins.
Toronto finished last within the American League East last season at 74-88.
Scherzer ranks second amongst lively pitchers in strikeouts (3,416), innings pitched (2,878), wins (216) and starts (457).
He stands eleventh in MLB history in strikeouts, one among only 19 pitchers who’ve reached the 3000-career strikeout mark. His nine profession seasons with 200-plus strikeouts trail only Nolan Ryan (15), Randy Johnson (13), Roger Clemens (12), and Tom Seaver (10) for probably the most in MLB history.
The St. Louis native was taken in the primary round of the 2006 draft by Arizona, making his MLB debut for the Diamondbacks in 2008.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
