Max Scherzer

Blue Jays Have Continued Interest In Framber Valdez

By Anthony Franco | February 3, 2026 at 9:29pm CDT

The Blue Jays remain interested in top free agent starter Framber Valdez, report Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of The New York Post. Toronto reportedly met with Valdez at the GM Meetings back in early November. That predated their seven-year, $210MM contract with Dylan Cease, so it was hardly a given that the Jays were still involved.

Valdez is arguably the last impact player available on the open market. He’s certainly the highest-upside player remaining. There’s a decent supply of unsigned starting pitching, but most other players fit in the middle or back of the rotation. That includes Zac Gallen, the only other free agent who rejected a qualifying offer. Valdez is at least a high-end #2 starter and has ace potential.

The southpaw finished top 10 in Cy Young voting each season from 2022-24. He looked on that pace through the All-Star Break last year, turning in a 2.75 earned run average over 19 starts. Things went off the rails in the second half, as Valdez surrendered a 5.20 ERA over his final 12 starts. He also had the much publicized cross-up incident with third catcher César Salazar, as he came under fire for not showing much immediate concern after hitting Salazar in the chest with a fastball. Astros officials maintained they did not believe Valdez intentionally crossed the catcher up, and Salazar did his best to downplay the situation publicly.

In any case, Valdez hit the market coming off arguably his worst two-month stretch in years. He’s entering his age-32 season, an age at which five-plus year deals for free agent starting pitchers are rare. Blake Snell and Jacob deGrom are the only pitchers at 32 or older to sign for five years within the past decade. It’s not clear what Valdez sought at the beginning of the offseason, but it’s generally not a great omen for players’ markets if they’re unsigned into February. A short-term deal with opt-outs probably isn’t as appealing for Valdez as it would be for a younger free agent.

The Jays already run six deep in the rotation with Cease, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, Cody Ponce and José Berríos. They’re broadly involved on every top free agent, so it’s possible they’re circling back to see if Valdez’s market has dropped to a level at which they feel the value is too good to ignore. Bieber has battled some elbow fatigue. Yesavage had some injury questions in college and just completed his first full professional season. Ponce is something of an unknown coming back from Korea, though the Jays wouldn’t have guaranteed him $30MM if they didn’t think he could be an effective starter.

Toronto could certainly justify taking this group into the season, but they’re evidently still kicking around rotation possibilities. Heyman said on an MLB Network appearance this afternoon that the Jays have some amount of interest in bringing Max Scherzer back. That’d obviously be a much cheaper move than even a short-term deal for Valdez, but Scherzer isn’t as clear of an upgrade over Toronto’s back-end arms.

RosterResource calculates the Jays’ luxury tax payroll around $310MM. That’s already a franchise record and lands them in the top tier of penalization. The Jays are near the Yankees and Phillies to round out a clear top five in projected spending behind the Dodgers and Mets. Signing Valdez would probably push them close to $340MM in CBT commitments, which would take them ahead of the Yankees and Philadelphia. They’d pay a 90% tax on the average annual value of any further free agent contracts. A hypothetical $30MM salary for Valdez would add another $27MM to their tax bill and amount to a $57MM investment overall.

Valdez comes attached to draft compensation, though that penalty isn’t as severe for the Jays because they already signed Cease. Toronto punted their second-round pick and their compensatory pick for Bo Bichette (after the fourth round) to add Cease. They’d give up their third and fifth rounders for Valdez, but those are each outside the top 100 overall.

Houston paid the luxury tax last year, so they’ll only receive a compensation pick after round four once Valdez signs elsewhere. That’s all but inevitable, as they’ve never seemed interested in meeting the southpaw’s asking price on a free agent deal. The collective bargaining agreement prohibits team personnel from explicitly saying they’re not pursuing specific players, but Houston GM Dana Brown reiterated this afternoon that the Astros “haven’t had any conversations lately” with the pitcher’s camp (video via Jason Bristol of KHOU 11 News).

Max Scherzer Could Wait To Sign After Opening Day

By Nick Deeds | January 23, 2026 at 9:55am CDT

Future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer came within a few outs of winning his third career World Series ring before his Blue Jays fell to the Dodgers back in November, and with the end of the 2025 season came Scherzer’s third foray into free agency over the past five years. Now 41 and staring down his 42nd birthday this coming July, Scherzer is no longer the superstar ace he once was. Even so, the right-hander still believes he can help a team in the right circumstances. The right-hander told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic recently that, while he’s healthy and ready to sign if the right situation comes along, he would be willing to sit out the beginning of the season and sign after Opening Day if it meant finding his way onto a preferred team.

Rosenthal made clear that Scherzer did not reveal what teams he would prefer to play for, but it’s easy to imagine that Scherzer will prioritize playing for a team that he believes has a legitimate shot to win a World Series this year as he enters the twilight of his career. While waiting to sign is always risky, Scherzer could make himself a valuable asset to contending teams in need of depth at some point this year in the event that he does remain unsigned after Opening Day. Rosenthal compares Roger Clemens’s final season in the majors, when he famously held off on signing until he was able to land a deal with the Yankees in early May. A more recent player who took a similar approach was righty reliever David Robertson, who was entering his age-40 season last year and held off on signing anywhere until the second half, when he landed with the Phillies and made 20 appearances down the stretch to solidify their bullpen.

Both of those comparisons demonstrate what teams should expect from Scherzer at this point. Clemens threw 99 innings for the Yankees in his age-44 campaign, pitching to a 4.18 ERA with a 4.14 FIP. That was the fifth-highest ERA of his storied, 24-year career. Likewise, Robertson turned in a decent but unspectacular 4.08 ERA and 4.95 FIP in his time with Philadelphia last season. In Scherzer’s case, the righty is coming off 17 starts for the Blue Jays where he at times looked like his typical dominant self and in other moments looked like one would expect a pitcher in his early 40s with nearly 3000 innings of mileage on his arm to look. That all added up to a 5.17 ERA and a 4.99 FIP, though he managed to turn things up a notch in the playoffs and muster a 3.77 ERA across three starts against the Mariners and Dodgers.

While Scherzer has indicated a willingness to hold out for the right fit, that doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t be able to find a match before Spring Training begins next month. Looking exclusively at teams that made the playoffs last year, the Brewers just traded Freddy Peralta and surely wouldn’t mind a veteran innings eater to pair with Brandon Woodruff as a leader for their young staff. The Padres could certainly squeeze Scherzer into their rotation and push JP Sears into a depth role. The Phillies figure to start the season with both swing man Taijuan Walker and prospect Andrew Painter in the rotation. The Tigers are reportedly looking for a back-end starter and could represent a fun homecoming for Scherzer, who won his first Cy Young award with the club. Other teams like the Marlins and Athletics could also surely benefit from adding Scherzer, but those clubs might not be clear enough contenders on paper to intrigue the veteran hurler.

Max Scherzer Plans To Play In 2026

By Nick Deeds | November 2, 2025 at 10:02am CDT

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.

Blue Jays Notes: Bichette, Scherzer, Defense

By Charlie Wright | October 27, 2025 at 5:36pm CDT

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.

NL Notes: D’Backs, Goldschmidt, Giants, Scherzer, McEwing

By Mark Polishuk | October 19, 2025 at 10:21pm CDT

Tyler Locklear will begin the season on the injured list while rehabbing from elbow and shoulder surgeries, leaving the Diamondbacks thin on the first base depth chart. The left-handed hitting Pavin Smith will get at least a share of the regular at-bats, but given Smith’s struggles against southpaws, a right-handed bat would be a useful platoon partner or a candidate for DH time. With this in mind, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7FM radio believes the D’Backs will “kick the tires on a reunion with Paul Goldschmidt” this winter.

Goldschmidt spent the first eight seasons of his outstanding career with the Snakes, making six All-Star appearances while hitting .297/.398/.532 with 209 homers over 4708 plate appearances. Traded to the Cardinals prior to the 2019 season, Goldschmidt kept up much of that form over his six-year run in St. Louis, but he has just about been a league-average bat (102 wRC+) over his last two seasons and 1188 PA with the Cardinals and Yankees. Playing with New York last year, Goldschmidt had a hot start but faded down the stretch, leading the Yankees to give Ben Rice an increasingly large share of the first base playing time.

Now entering his age-38 season, Goldschmidt may no longer be an ideal everyday option, but he had a .336/.411/.570 slash line in 168 PA against lefties in 2025. These splits will get him looks from multiple teams in free agency, and returning to his original team in a timeshare with Smith seems like a pretty decent fit for all parties.

Blue Jays Notes: Springer, Bichette, Bullpen

By Nick Deeds | October 18, 2025 at 10:35pm CDT

The Blue Jays are staring down elimination as they head back to Toronto following a tough loss to the Mariners in Game 5 of the ALCS yesterday. Manager John Schneider spoke to reporters this evening about the health status of a couple of key players, as well as the club’s pitching plans headed into the final games of the series.

Perhaps the most pressing update is the one regarding veteran slugger George Springer. The 36-year-old enjoyed a career year at the plate this season as he slashed .309/.399/.560 with 32 home runs and 27 doubles. Springer has continued his strong performance into the postseason, with eight extra-base hits in nine games so far this October. That hot streak was put at risk last night when Springer was hit in the right knee by a pitch.

Initial x-rays came back negative, fortunately, and today Schneider offered more good news to reporters (including Shi Davidi of Sportsnet) when he revealed that a follow-up CT scan confirmed no fracture. Springer was set to undergo additional treatment today, but it seems as though he’s likely to be back in the lineup for Game 6. As noted by MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson, Schneider told reporters he was “hopeful and optimistic” that Springer would be in the lineup for tomorrow’s game, and added that Schneider intends to put Springer in the game as long as Springer himself says he’s ready to play.

The future is less clear for star shortstop Bo Bichette. Bichette has been sidelined since the regular season due to a PCL sprain, and his availability in the event that the Jays manage to win their next two games and advance to face the Dodgers in the World Series remains up in the air. Schneider indicated to reporters (including Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet) that Bichette has increased his running volume on the field and is “making progress” with his swing but that he’s not yet tried to run the bases after he limped off the field when he tried to do so prior to the ALCS. Even in spite of this injury, Bichette’s had a strong bounce back year ahead of free agency with a .311/.357/.483 slash line in 139 games.

Of course, if Bichette is going to even have a chance to make it back for the World Series, the Jays will need to advance there. To that end, Schneider indicated to reporters (including Mitch Bannon of The Athletic) that everyone on the pitching staff who is “physically available” will be able to pitch tomorrow. That likely rules out Kevin Gausman after he pitched 5 2/3 innings of work yesterday, but could mean that every other pitcher on the roster is available. Bannon specifically highlights that veteran right-hander Max Scherzer will be available for tomorrow’s game after his 87-pitch start in Game 4 of the series on Thursday. Trey Yesavage is poised to start tomorrow’s game opposite right-hander Logan Gilbert.

Using Scherzer and Shane Bieber in tomorrow’s game would be a risky move for the Blue Jays, as it would leave them without anyone to start in Game 7 of the series on Monday if they make it that far. Of course, saving an arm for Game 7 would do little for the Blue Jays if they were to get eliminated in Game 6. In a win-or-go-home game, it’s sensible to win that night’s game at all costs and worry about the consequences of that later. That’s the plan the Mariners used in Game 5 of the ALDS against the Tigers, when they used George Kirby, Gilbert, and Luis Castillo in a 15-inning affair to leave them with no option but to start Bryce Miller in Game 1 of the ALCS against Toronto.

Blue Jays Notes: Santander, Bichette, Rotation

By Charlie Wright | October 13, 2025 at 3:55pm CDT

Toronto will be missing some power from the left side for Game 2 against Seattle. Outfielder Anthony Santander has been scratched with lower back tightness, the team announced. Davis Schneider will replace Santander, playing left field and batting eighth. Santander was originally slotted seventh in the order, but now Ernie Clement will move up to that spot.

Santander was 3-for-13 so far this postseason. He did have one of Toronto’s two hits in the first game of the ALCS. Santander was part of the Blue Jays’ lone scoring opportunity after he ripped a single into right field with one out in the second inning. Victor Robles misplayed the ball, and Santander ended up on second base. An Andres Gimenez pop-out followed by a George Springer groundout would end the threat, and Toronto wouldn’t get a runner beyond first base the rest of the game.

The switch-hitting Santander started three games in the ALDS against the Yankees. He was on the bench against left-hander Max Fried in Game 2. Santander struggled from both sides of the plate in the regular season, but he was especially poor as a right-handed hitter. He hit just .146 in 55 plate appearances as a righty. Santander’s results from the left side weren’t that much better (.185 batting average), but he did pop six home runs, albeit in about three times as many at-bats.

The Blue Jays landed Santander on a five-year, $92.5MM deal this past offseason. Unfortunately, they’ve gotten used to playing without him. A partially dislocated left shoulder in late May cost Santander all of June, July, and August, plus most of September. He returned for the final week of the regular season, appearing in four games. The teams will head to Seattle for Game 3 on Wednesday, so Santander will have tonight and tomorrow to recover.

If Santander’s back doesn’t improve, Toronto could replace him on the ALCS roster. Bo Bichette doesn’t seem like he’ll be among the options to join the team as he continues to deal with a PCL sprain. The video of Bichette running the bases on Saturday didn’t inspire much confidence in a potential return, though manager John Schneider said the shortstop didn’t suffer a setback during the session. “It showed him and us that there’s still a little bit of uncertainty there. And didn’t want to put him in a compromised position,” Schneider told reporters on Sunday, including Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.

Bichette resumed on-field running work last week, but was ultimately left off the ALCS roster. Gimenez picked up another start at shortstop in Game 1 against the Mariners. He’s started every playoff game at the position. With Clement taking Gimenez’s spot at second base and Schneider filling in for Santander in the outfield, Isiah Kiner-Falefa is the only remaining infield option on the bench. Outfielder Joey Loperfido seems like the more likely option to join the roster if Santander can’t continue. Bichette has less than two weeks to get ready for the World Series if Toronto were to advance past Seattle.

Schneider also shared some insight on the pitching side ahead of Game 2, again relayed by Zwelling. Righty Chris Bassitt will be available out of the bullpen for the duration of the series, while the plan is to have fellow right-hander Max Scherzer start Game 4. Schneider added that Scherzer could pitch sooner than Game 4 if an unexpected scenario comes up. The veteran arms did not make the ALDS roster against the Yankees, but seem poised to contribute in this round.

Bassitt went on the 15-day IL on September 19 with lower back tightness. He was not stretched out enough to be ready for the series against New York. Bassitt put together a serviceable year in Toronto’s rotation, finishing the regular season with a 3.96 ERA across 32 appearances. He was coming off an uncharacteristic season in 2024 with a bloated 9.2% walk rate that led to an ERA over 4.00 for the first time since 2016. Bassitt got the control in check this year while pushing his groundball rate back above league-average levels. The steady performance helped him record double-digit wins for the fifth straight campaign. Bassitt was set to enter the playoffs with some momentum, as he had a 3.23 ERA over the final two months of the season. He could be called on as soon as Game 2, with Toronto sending the inexperienced Trey Yesavage to the hill.

Scherzer, on the other hand, has been anything but reliable in his first season with the Blue Jays. He posted a career-worst 5.19 ERA across 17 starts after missing the first three months of the season with a thumb injury. Schneider mentioned not liking how Scherzer matched up against the Yankees as the reason for his omission from the ALDS roster. Scherzer allowing 17 earned runs over 15 innings in September likely didn’t help his case.

The season-long numbers were discouraging, but there were positive signs for Scherzer. His 4.26 SIERA suggests he pitched better than his bloated ERA. Scherzer’s four-seam fastball velocity was up more than a mile per hour compared to last season in Texas. His slider remains an above-average whiff pitch. And even as his skills have diminished, Scherzer still has the temperament of a pitcher you’d like to have on your side in the postseason.

The decision to confine Bassitt to the bullpen and use Scherzer as a starter might have to do with preparation. While neither pitcher has much experience as a reliever, Bassitt did make an appearance out of the bullpen this season. With his turn in the rotation not scheduled to come up again before the All-Star break, Bassitt tossed an inning in relief against the Athletics on July 13. It was only 10 pitches and three batters, but it could be enough to make Bassitt better-suited to enter in the middle of a game.

Blue Jays Add Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer To ALCS Roster; Bo Bichette Not Included

By Mark Polishuk | October 12, 2025 at 9:39am CDT

The Blue Jays have announced the 26 players who will be part of their American League Championship Series roster against the Mariners. As in the ALDS, the Jays will be using 13 pitchers and 13 position players, though a couple of new arms will be joining the pitching staff. The full list…

Catchers: Alejandro Kirk, Tyler Heineman
Infielders: Addison Barger, Ernie Clement, Andres Gimenez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Outfielders: Nathan Lukes, Anthony Santander, Davis Schneider, George Springer, Myles Straw, Daulton Varsho
Left-handed pitchers: Mason Fluharty, Eric Lauer, Brendon Little
Right-handed pitchers: Chris Bassitt, Shane Bieber, Seranthony Dominguez, Braydon Fisher, Kevin Gausman, Jeff Hoffman, Yariel Rodriguez, Max Scherzer, Louis Varland, Trey Yesavage

Beginning with the most notable omission from the roster, Bo Bichette remains unavailable, as the shortstop has yet to fully recover from a left knee sprain that has kept him out of action since September 6. Bichette didn’t start any running work until this past Wednesday, but a move to a bit more high-intensity running on the bases yesterday didn’t yield much progress. Bichette clearly looked to be in discomfort following even this brief session, which created doubt that he would indeed be healthy enough to be activated.

Since Bichette has been able to take batting practice and face live hitting, there had been some speculation that the Jays might use Bichette just in a DH role or even as a pinch-hitting specialist. Even that limited capacity would involve Bichette having to run in some form if he ended up getting hits, of course, and yesterday’s footage implies that Bichette’s knee is still far from 100 percent.

Technically, the Jays could still activate Bichette at some point during the ALCS if another injury arose. But the far likelier scenario is that Bichette won’t see any action until the World Series should Toronto advance, and it remains unclear if even 12 more days of rest and rehab will be enough for Bichette to return at all during the Jays’ postseason run.

By this point the Blue Jays have gotten used to playing without Bichette to some extent. Gimenez has settled in as the glove-first option at shortstop, and the Jays were will able to both win the AL East and defeat the Yankees in the ALDS without Bichette available. That said, obviously Toronto’s roster is better with Bichette than without, and the Jays figure to miss his bat against the Mariners’ deep pitching staff.

Speaking of rotations, Bassitt and Scherzer return after being left out of the ALCS picture. Scherzer was omitted since manager John Schneider felt the veteran didn’t match up well against the Yankees in particular, while Bassitt wasn’t fully recovered from a bout of back tightness that sent him to the 15-day injured list on September 19. The Jays felt they could navigate the five-game ALDS with only three starters (Gausman, Yesavage, Bieber) on the roster, and that proved to be the case, as the relief corps stepped up with a big bullpen-game performance in the clinching Game 4.

Gausman is set to start Game 1, and in all likelihood rookie sensation Yesavage will start Game 2 and Bieber will go in Game 3. Still, Gausman is the only announced starter to date, so the Blue Jays might still yet creative with their exact deployment of their starters. Not all five starters will actually start, of course, leaving some question with how Bassitt or Scherzer will be used. Bassitt has a little more career experience as a reliever, yet Scherzer struggled so much down the stretch that that recent form is a bigger factor for the Jays than Scherzer’s distinguished postseason track record.

Bassitt and Scherzer will be taking the places of relievers Tommy Nance and Justin Bruihl. Nance was inching his way into higher-leverage work after delivering a 1.99 ERA over 30 1/3 innings in the regular season, but he didn’t look sharp in posting a 13.50 ERA over 1 1/3 innings in the ALDS. Bruihl was charged for two earned runs in his lone one-third of an inning of ALDS work, and the southpaw was something of a 26th man for much of Toronto’s season, as he logged 13 2/3 innings with a 5.27 ERA.

Blue Jays Notes: Bichette, Scherzer, Bassitt

By Nick Deeds | October 11, 2025 at 7:48pm CDT

The Blue Jays put together an impressive win in four games over the Yankees in the ALDS this past week, and it’s all the more impressive when one considers that they managed to pull it off without one of their star players. Shortstop Bo Bichette has been on the injured list since early September due to a left knee sprain, and did not participate in the Division Series as a result. With the ALCS against the Mariners scheduled to start tomorrow, it seems a decision on Bichette’s status has not yet been made.

Earlier this afternoon, Ben Nicholson Smith of Sportsnet relayed that, per Jays manager John Schneider, Bichette hit against live pitching yesterday and ran the bases today. Schneider added that how Bichette responds to that uptick in activity will help to determine whether or not he’s rostered for the ALCS. Keegan Matheson of MLB.com expanded on that, noting that Schneider suggested the decision on Bichette would be one of the last ones they would make before rosters are announced tomorrow morning. Per Matheson, Bichette still appeared to be experiencing discomfort when he ran the bases today, and he suggested that Bichette might be confined to a DH-only role if he does return to action.

As Matheson notes, a DH role for Bichette would push George Springer into the outfield and force a fellow outfielder like Nathan Lukes or Anthony Santander out of the lineup. That’s surely only something they would do if they were confident that Bichette was healthy enough to contribute substantially at the plate. On the other hand, if Bichette isn’t quite ready to return but making enough progress, Toronto could opt to roster him even if he wouldn’t be available for Game 1. That would come with substantial risk, however, as if he was placed back on the injured list at some point in the ALCS he would not be eligible for the World Series if the Jays advance.

Moving on to the rotation, Toronto made the somewhat bold decision to leave both Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer off their ALDS roster. Both veteran starters were left off for understandable reasons; Scherzer struggled badly late in the year, while Bassitt wasn’t fully stretched out after being placed on the injured list in late September. That was fine for a five-game set where the team could lean heavily on Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, and Shane Bieber to handle starting duties, but Schneider acknowledged to reporters (including Nicholson-Smith) that both Bassitt and Scherzer will be in the mix for the club’s roster given the need for “more length” in a seven-game series. All of those roster decisions will be made by 9am CT tomorrow morning, when rosters are due for both clubs.

Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt, Bo Bichette Left Off Blue Jays’ ALDS Roster

By Mark Polishuk | October 4, 2025 at 10:58pm CDT

12:30PM: Manager John Schneider provided Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling (multiple links) and other media with some context on the roster decisions. Beyond the lack of running, Bichette has yet to face higher-velocity or pitches with movement in his cage work. Bassitt wasn’t quite stretched out enough to be ready, whereas Scherzer was omitted because Schneider didn’t like how he matched up with New York specifically; Scherzer would likely have been included had the Red Sox defeated the Yankees in the wild card series.

9:20AM: The Blue Jays announced their official 26-man roster for their AL Division Series matchup with the Yankees that begins today. Toronto will take 13 pitchers and 13 position players into action against New York, with the following breakdown…

Catchers: Alejandro Kirk, Tyler Heineman
Infielders: Addison Barger, Ernie Clement, Andres Gimenez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Outfielders: Nathan Lukes, Anthony Santander, Davis Schneider, George Springer, Myles Straw, Daulton Varsho
Left-handed pitchers: Justin Bruihl, Mason Fluharty, Eric Lauer, Brendon Little
Right-handed pitchers: Shane Bieber, Seranthony Dominguez, Braydon Fisher, Kevin Gausman, Jeff Hoffman, Tommy Nance, Yariel Rodriguez, Louis Varland, Trey Yesavage

The roster notably doesn’t include three players battling injuries (Bo Bichette, Chris Bassitt, Ty France) and one prominent name in Max Scherzer. Omitting Scherzer and Bassitt from the roster means that the Blue Jays seem to be locking into rookie Yesavage to start one game of the series, and then perhaps turning to a bullpen game in Game Four.

It wasn’t long ago that the Jays seemed to have almost a surplus of postseason rotation candidates, between Gausman, Bieber, Scherzer, Bassitt, Lauer, Jose Berrios, and Yesavage waiting in the wings at Triple-A. Toronto moved Lauer into a relief role at the start of September and also tapped Berrios for bullpen work late in the month, though a case of elbow inflammation sidelined Berrios and left his postseason availability up in the air.

Bassitt also hit the 15-day injured list on September 19 due to lower back tightness, but seemed to be on pace to be part of the ALDS roster. It isn’t yet known if Bassitt might’ve had some sort of setback in his ramp-up work, or if perhaps he or the Jays had enough uncertainty over his health that the team didn’t want to take the risk of issuing Bassitt a roster spot. If a player has to be removed from a postseason roster due to injury, the player is ineligible to play in the following series, so it could be that the Blue Jays didn’t want to take the chance of losing Bassitt for the ALCS if the Jays defeat New York.

For Scherzer, his two World Series and 143 career playoff innings didn’t carry as much weight to the Jays as the veteran’s recent form. The right-hander posted a 9.00 ERA over his final six starts and 25 innings in the regular season, and Scherzer only completed six innings in one of those outings. One of those tough starts came against the Yankees on September 7, when Scherzer allowed four runs on three hits and four walks over 4 1/3 innings in a 4-3 New York victory.

Scherzer ended up with a 5.19 ERA over 85 innings in 2025, as he missed most of the first half dealing with injuries. Just prior to his rough final six starts, it seemed like Scherzer was locking into form with a string of five consecutive quality starts and a 2.25 ERA over 32 innings. The Jays signed Scherzer to a one-year, $15.5MM contract last winter in the hopes that he could turn back the clock and provide veteran depth and experience to the rotation, particularly if Toronto happened to advance into the playoffs. While it is possible he could return for the ALCS, Scherzer will be limited to spectator duty for at least the first leg of the Blue Jays’ postseason run.

It isn’t surprising that Bichette isn’t participating, since as of Wednesday, Bichette had yet to start running drills as part of his rehab from a left PCL sprain. Bichette hurt his knee almost exactly a month ago, on an awkward slide into home plate on September 6 in another game against the Yankees. Bichette has been able to take swings in the batting cage, but until he is able to run whatsoever, his status for the rest of the playoffs remains unclear if the Jays manage to advance deeper into October.

Ty France is another noteworthy player left off the roster, as France may still be bothered by the oblique inflammation that has kept him sidelined since September 21. France’s absence will leave the Jays without some right-handed hitting bench depth, and Guerrero is now the only true first baseman on the roster, though naturally Guerrero isn’t expected to leave the lineup at any point in the series.

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