A lot of people figured Max Scherzer would follow in Clayton Kershaw’s footsteps and call it a career after this World Series, but that’s not the case. Now the big question is: should the Blue Jays bring the veteran arm back? If you look at the numbers, the answer seems to be a clear yes. But according to insider Bryan Hayes, the Blue Jays have a different plan in mind.

“I don’t think you even consider it until you’ve exhausted every other option. That’s ultimately what happened last year: Scherzer didn’t sign early, and the market wasn’t really there for him. The Jays were coming off a 74-win season, PR wasn’t great, they hadn’t added the pieces they wanted, and Scherzer was available. He said, ‘I’ll come up to Toronto for $15 million,’ and they had the money, so they made it work, and to their credit, it did work,” Hayes said in a podcast with Harvey’s Hot Takes.

Even last offseason, the Blue Jays signed Max Scherzer unusually late, in February, after a slow market left the 41-year-old without strong offers. Toronto, coming off a disappointing 74-win 2024 season and facing mounting fan frustration, turned to Scherzer as a short-term fix to boost both performance and morale. The one-year, $15 million deal was seen as a gamble: Scherzer had been battling nagging injuries and declining velocity, but his pedigree made the move a statement of intent. It ultimately paid off. 

Signing Scherzer last offseason turned out to be one of the best moves Toronto made. Nobody expected the 41-year-old to be that dominant—he even got the nod to start Game 7 of the World Series. The right-hander looked sharp, tossing 4.1 innings of one-run ball with three SOs and leaving the game with a 3-1 lead. But he’s still not their man anymore. 

“I think the Jays got everything they could out of Max Scherzer. It was a great story, watching a future Hall of Famer pitch in Toronto and pull off that redemption run. But I’d walk. I’d expand every possible option to find a younger, more secure arm because it was already holding on by a thread this year when he was 41. And if you get to February and no one’s signed him, and you still need a fifth or sixth starter, and you think he can help the clubhouse, maybe you revisit it. But not to start your offseason.”

So, the biggest factor not on Scherzer’s side is his age.

At 41, Scherzer has already defied the odds. Early this year, he dealt with back and arm issues. So, it’s risky to expect another full, dominant year from him. And despite his postseason surge, Scherzer started only 17 games this year, which speaks to his age.

So, even though he looked sharp in the postseason, his regular-season numbers showed signs of wear. His velocity dipped at times, and he rarely went deep into games. The Jays may need more innings from a reliable starter rather than a five-inning, high-maintenance veteran. Thus, as Hayes said, he might be effective in the short term, but betting on him from Opening Day to take the team throughout the year would be a huge risk.

After Game 7, Max Scherzer made his stance clear, saying, “The only thing I can say is it’s going to take some time to give a full answer to that, but there is no way that was my last pitch,” via ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. At 41, he still believes he can compete, but durability is a genuine concern after making only 17 starts in 2025 due to thumb and lat issues.

With young arms like Ricky Tiedemann pushing for roles, many insiders see Scherzer as a short-term or bullpen fit rather than a rotation anchor. Bryan Hayes, on OverDrive, advised the Jays to “exhaust every option” before re-signing him — signaling Toronto’s shift toward youth and long-term stability.

Moreover, the Blue Jays already have a solid rotation foundation with Gausman, Berrios, and Kikuchi. Bringing Scherzer back could block opportunities for younger pitchers like Ricky Tiedemann to earn a spot and gain valuable experience.

Hence, according to Hayes, Scherzer still can pitch, but the Blue Jays might be better off investing in the future rather than chasing one more year of magic from an aging legend.

The Blue Jays still need some external help in pitching

While getting Shane Bieber back is definitely a plus for the Blue Jays, relying too heavily on rookie Trey Yesavage might not be the most brilliant move next season. Sure, Yesavage showed flashes of brilliance in the postseason, but he’s still pretty raw.

Notably, he hasn’t thrown enough innings yet and clearly needs more development time.

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“We’ll talk through that with him and see if there’s something to manage on the workload standpoint, but it’s more about not resting on his postseason achievements and making sure we’re getting better,” GM Ross Atkins said about the young right-hander.

So, with Scherzer likely not returning and Yesavage not quite ready to lock down a rotation spot, Toronto will need to look outside the organization for reinforcements—especially in the bullpen. And that’s where things get interesting…

The Blue Jays are being linked to Rays reliever Pete Fairbanks. In 2025, Fairbanks put up an impressive 2.83 ERA. And over the last four years, he’s quietly been one of the best closers in baseball with a 2.73 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 175 innings. So, if the Blue Jays manage to land him, they might just find the perfect replacement for Scherzer’s impact, albeit in a very different role.