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Max Scherzer Plans To Play In 2026

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The 2025 season ended in heartbreak for the Blue Jays and their fans last night, but future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer made it clear that yesterday’s somber note isn’t the one he intends to wrap his career up on. Scherzer was asked about his future and, while he avoided specifics, made clear that he’s not yet ready to call it quits.

“The only thing I can say is,” Scherzer told reporters, as relayed Jesse Rogers of ESPN in the aftermath of last night’s game, “it’s going to take some time to give a full answer to that, but there is no way that was my last pitch.”

Scherzer turned 41 back in July, and it’s fair to wonder if the current season could be a player’s last even when he enters his late thirties. Fellow future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw wrapped up the final season of his career last night, having announced prior to the postseason that he wouldn’t be returning in 2026 for what would have been his age-38 campaign. Questions regarding Scherzer’s future were especially understandable given the health issues he’s dealt with in recent years. While the three-time Cy Young award winner was once among the most durable pitchers in the entire sport, nerve issues in his hand and thumb have contributed to him making just 26 starts over the past two years. His performance has slipped over that time as well, with a 4.77 ERA and a 4.72 FIP in 128 1/3 innings of work since the 2024 season began.

Even if Scherzer isn’t the surefire ace he once was, he’s still a valuable pitcher and one many teams would be happy to have on their roster. The veteran added 14 1/3 innings of 3.77 ERA baseball to his postseason resume during Toronto’s run and, while his regular season run prevention numbers may have been lackluster, his peripherals indicate that he’s still a solid starter. Scherzer’s 4.26 SIERA puts him in line with the performance of solid mid-rotation arms like Mitch Keller, Robbie Ray, and Yusei Kikuchi. His 16.5 K-BB% was on the same level as players like Carlos Rodon, Casey Mize, and Kris Bubic. His 12.4% barrel rate this year is certainly a potential red flag, but a team that believes they can help Scherzer keep the ball off the barrel next year would surely see Scherzer as a solid addition to their pitching staff.

Even so, it’s likely that Scherzer’s ceiling in free agency figures to be the one-year, $15.5MM contract he signed with Toronto last year, coming off a nine-start 2024 campaign with the Rangers. It’s possible he’ll need to come down from that price tag after a second injury-shortened season, though fellow future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander secured a similar one-year, $15MM guarantee from the Giants last winter coming off a season where he posted a 5.48 ERA in 17 starts quite similar to Scherzer’s 5.19 ERA in that same number of starts. At this stage in his career, Scherzer is sure to prioritize competing in October as he looks for his next team. That could well mean a return to the Blue Jays, as both Scherzer and teammate Chris Bassitt’s departures will leave room for the club to pursue additional rotation help.

Toronto is far from the only contender in need of starting pitching this offseason, however. The Cubs, Padres, and Red Sox all made the postseason this year and have already been linked to the starting pitching market. Meanwhile, teams like the Braves, Astros, and Giants that missed the playoffs this year still figure to try and contend next year and could pursue Scherzer from a similar position to the one the Blue Jays found themselves in this offseason. All of those clubs would be new to the veteran, but reunions with any of the Mets, Tigers, and Diamondbacks are at least plausible as well in addition to a return to the Jays.

Dodgers Win World Series

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The Dodgers are champions. Los Angeles outlasted Toronto in an epic Game 7 showdown. Will Smith delivered the game-winning swing, homering in the 11th inning to give the Dodgers their first lead, which they wouldn’t relinquish. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, pitching on no rest after throwing 96 pitches on Friday, closed out the win. Unsurprisingly, the all-time performance earned Yamamoto the Series MVP award.

LA becomes the first team to repeat as champions since the Yankees in 2000. New York won three straight titles (1998-2000). It’s the Dodgers’ ninth World Series title, moving them into a tie for third with the Athletics and Red Sox. It’s their third title in the past six seasons.

Miguel Rojas, an unlikely World Series hero, rescued LA’s season in the ninth inning. The light-hitting shortstop yanked a Jeff Hoffman slider over the left field wall to tie the game. Rojas joined Bill Mazeroski as the only players in World Series history to hit a game-tying or go-ahead home run in the ninth inning or later in a winner-take-all game (h/t Jesse Rogers of ESPN).

Rojas’ heroics allowed Yamamoto to do something just as special. After a complete game win in Game 2 and a quality start in Game 6, the ace entered in the bottom of the ninth inning with two runners on. He hit Alejandro Kirk with a pitch to load the bases, but wiggled out of the jam. Defensive sub Andy Pages leaped over teammate Enrique Hernandez to reel in an Ernie Clement drive to send the game to extra innings. Yamamoto then cruised through the 10th inning in order before getting into trouble in the 11th frame. With runners on first and third and one out, he coaxed a double play grounder from Kirk to seal the game.

Toronto was in control for much of the game. Shohei Ohtani, pitching on three days’ rest, labored through the first two innings. After George Springer singled to start the third frame, Nathan Lukes sacrificed him to second. Ohtani then intentionally walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr., before hanging a slider that Bo Bichette deposited into the center field stands for a three-run homer. The Blue Jays had multiple chances to extend their lead, including a leadoff double in the eighth inning, but failed to cash in.

The Blue Jays came out swinging in the Fall Classic, exploding for nine runs in the sixth inning to win Game 1 in blowout fashion. A dominant Yamamoto performance evened the series, then LA took a 2-1 lead after Freddie Freeman walked off Game 3 in the 18th inning. Toronto bounced back, winning Game 4 and Game 5 behind strong starts from Shane Bieber and Trey Yesavage, respectively. Yamamoto cruised again in Game 6, pushing the series to its limit. Game 7 delivered an instant classic.

Bo Bichette Doesn’t Expect To Require Offseason Knee Surgery

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Bo Bichette has played through a sprained PCL in his left knee during the World Series. He’s clearly physically limited but has picked up five hits (all singles) with three RBI in 18 trips to the plate.

Of course, Bichette’s focus for the next day or two will be fully on the World Series. He did address the injury before tonight’s Game 6, telling Ben-Nicholson Smith of Sportsnet that he does not expect he’ll need to undergo offseason surgery. Bichette suffered the injury in a collision at home plate with Yankees catcher Austin Wells on September 6. He was out of action for almost seven weeks before making his return for the Fall Classic.

Bichette would clearly still be on the injured list if this were the regular season. However, he has gotten to a point where he can hit and make routine defensive plays. The Jays moved him to second base while keeping Andrés Giménez at shortstop to slightly reduce his defensive workload. They used him as a designated hitter in Game 5 after George Springer tweaked his side. However, Springer has improbably returned for tonight’s game and is back at DH. Bichette heads out to the keystone again.

The 27-year-old infielder (28 in March) is days away from becoming a free agent for the first time in his career. He’s widely viewed as the second-best player in the class behind Kyle Tucker. The knee injury might add to the already present questions about how long he can be expected to stick at shortstop. There’ll be teams that prefer Bichette as a second baseman, but he’s an annual threat to lead the league in hits and is coming off a .311/.357/.483 batting line in the regular season.

Bichette spoke with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic about his decision to play through the injury earlier this week. He acknowledged that he’s “not really expecting to make huge progress” in the healing process while he’s playing. Bichette nevertheless stated that he’d “risk it all” to win a World Series. He demurred on the free agency question this evening. Bichette admitted at today’s pregame media scrum that while he has thought about his future at times this season, he has “got a World Series to win” right now (video via TSN).

MLBTR Podcast: Bo Bichette’s Health, Kazuma Okamoto, And Dylan Cease’s Market

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • If the Blue Jays were to extend Addison Barger, would the Lawrence Butler deal be a good comp? (40:35)
  • If a veteran signs a minor league deal, are they eligible to be taken in the Rule 5 draft? (44:50)
  • Will the Red Sox trade Jarren Duran? (46:25)

Check out our past episodes!

  • The Phillies’ Outfield, Tarik Skubal, And Hiring College Coaches – listen here
  • Murakami To Be Posted This Offseason, Managerial Vacancies, And More! – listen here
  • Rockies’ Front Office Changes, Skip Schumaker, And ABS Talk – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Dan Hamilton, Imagn Images

Blue Jays Notes: Springer, Bassitt, Yesavage

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The World Series continues with Game 4 tonight after last night’s 18-inning marathon that ended with the Dodgers winning 6-5. However, veteran George Springer will not be in the starting lineup for the Blue Jays, though he will seemingly remain on the roster (link via Shi Davidi of Sportsnet). The 36-year-old left last night’s game with what was called “right side discomfort” and underwent an MRI today. “MRI showed that he’s hour-to-hour, day-to-day,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider, “so just see how he kind of navigates the next couple hours.” With Springer out of the lineup, Bo Bichette will serve as DH and bat third.

Toronto will certainly hope that Springer can continue to appear in the World Series, even if in a diminished role. He enjoyed a resurgent season in 2025, as he batted .309/.399/.560 with a 166 wRC+ in 140 games as Toronto’s DH. After posting a roughly league-average output over 2023-24, he increased his walk rate from 9.8% to 11.8% and, more importantly, struck the ball with much more authority on his way to a career-high 46.7% hard-hit rate. The result was a season worth 5.2 fWAR, which stands as Springer’s highest total since his 2019 season with the Astros and the best season of his Blue Jays tenure.

Moving to the pitching side of things, Schneider said that right-hander Chris Bassitt will be available out of the bullpen tonight (link via Mitch Bannon of the Athletic). If he pitches, it would be the first time in his career that he has pitched on consecutive days. Bassitt, 36, started all but one of his 32 appearances for Toronto this year. Though he posted a solid 3.96 ERA along with a respectable 22.6% strikeout rate and a 7.1% walk rate in 170 1/3 regular-season innings, the team has used him as a reliever in the postseason. Bassitt was the fourth pitcher out of Toronto’s bullpen in Game 3, throwing just eight pitches. Indeed, Schneider noted that every one of his relievers is available for tonight’s game except for Eric Lauer, who pitched 4 2/3 innings last night (link via Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet).

Looking ahead slightly, rookie right-hander Trey Yesavage is lined up to start Game 5 tomorrow night (link via Davidi). The 22-year-old began the season at the Single-A level but rode an outstanding strikeout rate to reach the big-league rotation by the end of the year, making three regular-season starts plus four more so far in the postseason. He most recently started Game 1 of the World Series, allowing two earned runs in four innings in an eventual Blue Jays victory, and would be on normal rest for a Game 5 start.

George Springer Undergoes MRI For Right Side Discomfort

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George Springer left the Blue Jays’ crushing Game 3 loss with what appeared to be a right side injury. Toronto’s leadoff man was leading off the seventh inning and fouled off the first pitch from Justin Wrobleski, then winced and grabbed for his lower right side. After unsuccessfully trying to walk it off, he called for the trainer and was immediately lifted from the game. Manager John Schneider provided details to reporters (including Shi Davidi of Sportsnet) following the 18-inning epic about Springer’s status, revealing he was suffering from “right side discomfort” and had already been sent for an MRI, which the club was awaiting results on.

The possibility of a side injury raises fears about an oblique strain that would certainly put an end to Springer’s series. Even minor oblique strains are an almost automatic injured list stint — usually requiring upwards of a month on the shelf. Springer was able to play through knee discomfort after being hit with a pitch in Game 5 of the ALCS. An oblique injury would be essentially impossible to overcome, as they inhibit a hitter’s ability to rotate through their swing.

Losing Springer would be a massive blow to Toronto’s chances of coming back to pull off an upset in the series. He has four homers and six doubles across 14 postseason contests. None was bigger than the go-ahead, three-run shot off Eduard Bazardo to knock off the Mariners in Game 7 of the Championship Series. Springer is hitting .246/.323/.561 in October. That follows up a resurgent regular season in which he hit .309/.399/.560 with 32 home runs, his best year since 2019.

Ty France came off the bench to work as the designated hitter for last night’s game. It’s unlikely that’d be the plan for the remainder of the Series if Springer is sidelined. Bo Bichette would presumably move to the DH spot for the final few games, which would draw Isiah Kiner-Falefa back in at second base for defensive purposes. Bichette has been limited in his first game action since spraining his knee in early September. He did not start Game 2 and was lifted for Kiner-Falefa as a pinch-runner/defensive substitute in the seventh inning. Bichette has picked up where he’d left off at the plate, though, going 3-7 with a walk and a strikeout in the series.

If Springer cannot return, the Jays would petition MLB to replace him on the roster. Joey Loperfido, who replaced the injured Anthony Santander on the ALCS roster, was dropped from the World Series roster with Bichette and France activated from injury. He’d be the obvious choice to return to the roster in Springer’s place.

Blue Jays Notes: Bichette, Scherzer, Defense

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After getting shut down offensively in Game 2 of the World Series, Toronto will get an important bat back in the lineup tonight. Bo Bichette will draw the start at second base for Game 3, batting fourth. “[He] felt good coming out of yesterday,” manager John Schneider told reporters on Sunday, including David Singh of Sportsnet. “I think with each day that goes on, he’ll probably get as close to normal as he can at this stage of the year.”

Bichette made his long-awaited return in Game 1 after missing close to two months with a knee injury. He singled on a 3-0 pitch in his first at-bat. Bichette began Toronto’s game-breaking sixth inning, drawing a walk against Blake Snell to lead off the inning. Isiah Kiner-Falefa replaced him on the bases and came around to score the go-ahead run. Toronto would go on to tag Snell and two relievers with nine runs in the frame.

It was Kiner-Falefa, not Bichette, who drew the start at second base in Game 2. Bichette grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning. He played a couple of innings in the field in relief of Kiner-Falefa. “Seven weeks is a long layoff, so you don’t want to just go back to 100 percent,” Schneider told reporters, including Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, regarding Bichette’s usage.

Bichette is playing second base for the first time at the professional level since 2019 at Triple-A. The early returns have been acceptable, as Bichette has handled the few chances he’s had so far. Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports that Toronto is adjusting their infield strategy to support him. The team is having shortstop Andres Gimenez and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. shade closer to Bichette to provide extra coverage. “I think the positioning part of it plays a big component,” Schneider told Bannon.

Toronto hasn’t had an error in either game of the World Series. They were a middling defense during the regular season, ranking 18th in fielding percentage. The Blue Jays had the 12th-most errors. Kiner-Falefa is known for his defensive ability and is capable of handling multiple infield positions. While he did go 5-for-15 in the ALCS, the utilityman is hitless so far against the Dodgers. Getting Bichette’s bat in the mix will be a boost, especially after Yoshinobu Yamamoto silenced the lineup on Saturday. Kiner-Falefa is a candidate to replace Bichette on the bases or in the field in a late-game situation.

The Blue Jays will send Max Scherzer to the bump on Monday. Schneider is expecting the same intensity he showed in Game 4 of the ALCS. “Wonder how many coaches he’ll knock over tonight,” Schneider told reporters, including Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. The fiery right-hander had a handful of animated moments during his last outing, a near-quality start against Seattle. Scherzer allowed two earned runs over 5 2/3 innings to earn the win and knot the series at 2-2.

Scherzer’s appearance for Toronto tonight will make him the first player to pitch for four different teams in the World Series, per MLB. The 40-year-old also made Fall Classic starts for Detroit, Washington, and Texas, winning the title with the latter two teams.

Scherzer came into the postseason in a rut, giving up 17 earned runs over 15 innings to close the regular season. He did not make the ALDS roster, with Schneider citing the matchup against the Yankees as the reason for the veteran’s omission. Scherzer tossed a quality start in his lone appearance against the Dodgers this season, holding them to two earned runs over six innings in early September.

East Notes: Bichette, Rays, Scott

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With Bo Bichette back on the roster as the Blue Jays challenge the Dodgers in the World Series, it didn’t take long for him to be asked about his impending free agency. As noted by Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, Bichette generally dismissed the question as something he doesn’t have the time to think about amid a World Series run, though he did acknowledge that his “goal” is to remain with the Blue Jays for the rest of his career.

That’s not exactly new information, as Bichette has long indicated a desire to spend his whole career in a Blue Jays uniform. Bichette has previously spoken of his desire to only play for one team throughout his whole career, and the ability to do so alongside longtime teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. after Guerrero landed his own extension earlier this year surely makes the idea of sticking around in Toronto all the more appealing. With that said, there had been no extension talks between Bichette and club brass as recently as April.

Perhaps some discussions have taken place in the intervening months, of course, but with free agency just days away it seems all but certain that Bichette will hit the open market without signing an extension. That doesn’t mean he can’t be re-signed, of course, but the Blue Jays won’t be the only suitor for his services once he’s available to all 30 clubs and it’s unclear if Toronto is willing to add another major contract to the books after signing Guerrero to an extension worth half a billion dollars.

More from MLB’s East divisions…

  • The Rays may now be operating under new ownership, but they’re still facing plenty of stadium uncertainty in the wake of the club’s recent failed stadium deal and the damage done to Tropicana Field by Hurricane Milton last year. While it would be impossible to expect a meaningful update on a long-term stadium solution just one month into Patrick Zalupski’s tenure as control person, commissioner Rob Manfred did tell reporters (as relayed by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) prior to Game 2 of the World Series yesterday that the league is “hopeful” that the Trop will be ready for Tampa’s opening homestand, scheduled to begin on April 6. While Manfred seemingly left the door open to the possibility that the stadium won’t be ready for those games, he said that “it certainly is going to be ready very early in the year.” That’s good news for the Rays, seeing as they were forced to play their home games in a minor league ballpark this year as a result of the damage to the Trop.
  • Turning towards the National League, Will Sammon of The Athletic writes that Mets youngster Christian Scott is nearing the end of his rehab program as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. Scott, 26, made his big league debut last year with a 4.56 ERA in nine starts but hasn’t pitched in an official game at any level since. He entered 2024 as a fringe top-100 prospect, however, and Sammon suggests that the right-hander could be another young arm in the mix for a rotation work with the Mets next year alongside players like Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat. With that said, a crowded group of rotation options that is likely to get at least one major addition this winter might make it hard for the righty to find consistent starts without a rash of injuries creating an opportunity.

Blue Jays Notes: Bichette, Bassitt, Mattingly

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After winning Game 1 of the World Series in dominant fashion yesterday, the Blue Jays are looking to take a 2-0 lead in the series before they head to L.A. for Game 3 on Monday. They’ll be doing so without star infielder Bo Bichette in the lineup, however. That might sound concerning to Jays fans, given that he’s just be activated from a long layoff that had stretched from the regular season all throughout the playoffs to this point, but Mitch Bannon of The Athletic relays that (according to Jays manager John Schneider) that extended layoff is exactly the reason for today’s day off.

“He’ll be ready to play today, for sure,” Schneider said, as relayed by Bannon. “But really, after the layoff, didn’t want to kill him, you know.”

While Bichette won’t be starting at second base like he did yesterday (or his native position of shortstop, for that matter), Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet relays that the infielder is actually feeling better than expected after his first game action since early September and that Bichette told Schneider he’d be available off the bench today. That’s excellent news for the Blue Jays, as it means they’ll have one of their best hitters available if high leverage moment comes up at some point in today’s game.

Bichette recorded a single and a walk in three plate appearances yesterday and is coming off a regular season where he slashed .311/.357/.483 in 139 games. It goes without saying that having him in the lineup would be preferable to leaving him on the bench, but in conjunction with tomorrow’s travel day today’s decision could allow the Jays to push Bichette more throughout the seven-game series. In the meantime, Isiah Kiner-Falefa is batting eighth and in the lineup at second base in Bichette’s place.

Turning to another injured player, Nicholson-Smith relays that veteran right-hander Chris Bassitt is dealing with a cut/blister on his pitching hand. Bassitt is available to pitch in any game, including Game 2 this evening, after moving to the bullpen for the postseason. That Bassitt won’t be sat down while his blister heals is good news for the Jays considering his excellent work across three scoreless relief appearances this October, but it’s still a concerning update given that even minor injuries to a pitcher’s throwing hand can impact grip and command. It wouldn’t be a shock if the Blue Jays tried to avoid using Bassitt in high leverage moments until they have confidence about how the blister is impacting his mechanics.

In off the field news, meanwhile, Jon Heyman of the New York Post writes that Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly could be considering calling it a career after making it to the World Series for the first time across his decades-long career in baseball. Heyman notes that friends of Mattingly “believe retirement is a possibility” after this season, while Mattingly himself didn’t tip his hand on the matter and simply told Heyman “You never know, you never know” when asked about his future. If Mattingly were to call it a career, he’d do so as one of the most accomplished baseball icons of recent vintage. He earned an MVP award during a 14-year MLB career as a player and spent an additional 12 years managing the Dodgers and Marlins, the latter of whom he earned Manager of the Year honors for managing to the playoffs through a COVID-19 outbreak during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Blue Jays Add Bo Bichette To World Series Roster

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Bo Bichette is back. The Blue Jays announced their World Series roster today, and it includes the two-time All-Star infielder. Bichette has been sidelined since early September due to a sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Manager John Schneider indicated yesterday that Bichette could see time at shortstop, second base and/or designated hitter if cleared to rejoin the roster. If he appears in a game at second base, it’ll be his first time playing there since the minor leagues in 2019.

The Jays dropped outfielder Joey Loperfido and righty Yariel Rodriguez from their roster, which contains 14 position players and 12 pitchers. It breaks down as follows:

Yesavage gets the ball opposite Blake Snell in Game 1, becoming the second-youngest Game 1 starter in World Series history (trailing Ralph Branca of the ’47 Dodgers (as noted by MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson). The Jays haven’t formally announced a Game 2 starter to take on righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but it’s expected to be Gausman. Bieber and Scherzer are likely up, in some order, for Games 3 and 4. The Dodgers figure to counter with Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani.

Of course, all eyes will be on Bichette in his return to the diamond after an absence of roughly seven weeks. It’s not likely that he’s at 100%, but the Jays medical staff cleared him to take the field for the franchise’s biggest series in more than 30 years.

There’s an offseason component to consider as well, given Bichette’s status as an impending free agent. Any time at second base in the World Series could offer a potential glimpse of the future, too; Bichette’s glovework at shortstop has been perhaps the key knock on his free agent case, and it’s likely that some clubs will prefer to sign him and move him to second base. A small handful of appearances when he’s coming off a notable knee injury isn’t going to be indicative of how he’d look there at full strength in 2026 and beyond, but it’s still a source of intrigue both for the duration of the Fall Classic and for the broader, long-term picture.

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