The New York Yankees are in a position where they have to make a trade at the deadline for another starter. The Toronto Blue Jays, a team that’s in a strange spot, could help them out in the form of Max Scherzer. Scherzer, despite the injuries, could still have something left in the tank.
In a recent trade idea from Jake Elman of Athlon Sports, the Yankees would land him in a deal that’d be favorable from their perspective.
“The Yankees need another rotation arm, and Scherzer checks plenty of boxes,” Elman wrote. “He’ll likely come cheap, especially given his age and one-year, $15.5 million contract. Although Scherzer has a full no-trade clause, pitching for a contender sounds preferable to sticking with a team focusing on 2026.
“Unless the Yankees are truly desperate, they shouldn’t need to give up top prospects Spencer Jones or George Lombard Jr. here. Instead, Brian Cashman could potentially (theoretically) land Scherzer for a package built around 2024 fourth-round pick and ex-Miami Hurricanes pitcher Gage Ziehl,” he wrote.
Could the Blue Jays Move Scherzer?
It remains uncertain if the Toronto Blue Jays want to move on from Scherzer, but there could be some sense in doing so.
He hasn’t thrown in a game since his first outing with the team, which came on March 29, allowing two earned runs in 3.0 innings against the Baltimore Orioles.
Scherzer is one of the best arms in Major League Baseball history, an easy Hall of Famer.
However, at 40 years old, he hasn’t shown the ability to stay on the mound recently. He pitched in just nine games in 2024 and eight in 2023. If he doesn’t figure his injury out sometime in the near future, there’s a good chance that he won’t make 10 starts in a season ever again.
He’s currently dealing with a thumb injury, something that’s kept him out for quite some time now.
Possible Trade Destination
Looking at potential trade options for the Toronto Blue Jays at the deadline, Zachary Rotman of FanSided believes Scherzer should be one of them. He added that a healthy Scherzer could give a contending team exactly what they need, which is a fair argument.
Sure, Scherzer isn’t the same arm he once was, when he won three Cy Young Awards in a five-year span, but he’s pitched in some massive moments throughout his career, and has excelled in it.
Scherzer has a 3.78 playoff ERA, including two World Series rings, which the New York Yankees are looking for.
“Max Scherzer signed a one-year, $15 million deal with the Blue Jays, hoping to be an important member of their starting rotation. Unfortunately, left his first Blue Jays start with an injury and hasn’t pitched since…
“Even with that being said, though, a contending team should take a chance on Scherzer. His contract isn’t expensive, and doesn’t extend past this season. Sure, it’s fair to wonder when he can take the mound, but when he’s able to pitch, he’s still effective and has a ton of postseason experience. He can provide a spark to any team in contention and in need of some starting pitching,” he wrote.
The Toronto Blue Jays signed Scherzer to a one-year, $15.5 million deal.
While the hope was for Scherzer to give the Blue Jays the innings they needed, that hasn’t been the case.
Perhaps they can move him to a different team and he’ll be what someone else is hoping for.
Blue Jays Trade Proposal Moves $15 Million Hall of Famer to Yankees