TORONTO — Max Scherzer confirmed Thursday that he is returning to the Toronto Blue Jays.
The club has not yet announced the contract, reported to be worth US$3 million for one season, but the 41-year-old right-hander said during an appearance on Sportsnet 590 The Fan that he would be back in Toronto.
His final pitch last season came in Game 7 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, prompting questions about whether it might have been the last of his career.
“No, never really did,” Scherzer told Sportsnet 590 when asked if he thought he had made his last pitch. “It was a quick turnaround before you guys start getting ready for the next season. So as I was training, everything felt great. My body, as I was progressing up and ramping up my workouts and throwing, just didn’t know how it was going to unfold.”
Scherzer, a two-time World Series champion and three-time Cy Young Award winner, played the 2025 season in Toronto on a one-year, $15 million contract.
The 41-year-old right-hander had a 5-5 record in 17 starts, with a 5.19 earned-run average in his lone campaign with the Jays.
He had a 3.77 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 14.1 innings across three starts in the post-season where Toronto fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.
Scherzer said he was selective about where he would continue his career and viewed Toronto as the right fit.
“It was going to be very, very picky of where I wanted to play,” he said.
“Toronto was definitely a team that I wanted to come back to and join. I absolutely loved all the guys and what we did last year. It was a great fit for myself and my family as well.”
His eight-year-old daughter, Brooke, also lobbied for a return, writing the Blue Jays a letter in December saying she hoped her father would be back and that the family “loved spending time in Toronto.”
Scherzer’s wife, Erica, shared the handwritten note on Instagram after reports of the deal surfaced.
Scherzer has 3,489 career strikeouts across 2,963 innings, good for 11th all time in Major League Baseball.
Justin Verlander is the only active pitcher ahead of Scherzer on the list, sitting in eighth with 3,553 strikeouts in 3,567.2 innings.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 25, 2026.
The Canadian Press
