Veteran Max Scherzer is rejoining the Toronto Blue Jays on a one-year, $3 million deal, multiple outlets reported early Thursday.
The contract contains incentives totaling $10 million and a no-trade clause, per The Athletic.
Despite bolstering the starting rotation with Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce in the offseason, the Blue Jays still had a pitching need. Shane Bieber has forearm fatigue that has slowed his spring training work and fellow right-hander Bowden Francis is out for the season following Tommy John surgery.
The 41-year-old Scherzer, a former Tigers star, is entering his 19th MLB season and has a career record of 221-117 with a 3.22 ERA in 483 games (474 starts). His 3,489 strikeouts are 11th on the all-time list.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner played for the Blue Jays last season and was 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 85 innings over 17 games (all starts). He made three key starts in the postseason, defeating the Seattle Mariners in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series.
In the World Series, he started two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers and kept the Blue Jays in both games, despite them turning into extra-inning losses. Overall, he pitched 14 1/3 innings, giving up six runs on 12 hits and striking out 11. His ERA was 3.77.
Yankees to honor Sabathia
Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle … Sabathia.
Hall of Fame southpaw CC Sabathia will join a select list of New York Yankees legends when his No. 52 is retired and a plaque in his honor is added to the team’s Monument Park during a Sept. 26 ceremony.
Sabathia will become the 24th Yankee to have his number retired and the first since Paul O’Neil in 2022. He also joins Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera as the fifth member of New York’s 2009 World Series championship squad, the Yankees’ last title team, to have his number retired.
“From the first number that hung in my locker to 52 forever hanging in Monument Park – this HOF journey has come full circle,” Sabathia posted on X on Wednesday night. “To have my number retired by the New York Yankees this year is one of the greatest honors of my life. The LegaCCy continues.”
Sabathia, 45, will receive the Yankees’ highest honors one year after receiving baseball’s highest honor, when he was inducted into Cooperstown as a first-ballot selection. The left-hander posted a career record of 251-161 and a 3.74 ERA with three different teams, including Cleveland and the Milwaukee Brewers.
Sabathia joined the Yankees in 2009 and spent the last 11 years of his career in New York. His tenure began with baseball glory, as he helped the Bronx Bombers claim their 27th championship. Sabathia notched a 1.98 ERA over five games and 36 1/3 frames during the title run, earning American League Championship Series MVP honors.
The California native also made three All-Star teams as a Yankee and finished third in 2010 AL Cy Young Award voting. He went 134-88 with a 3.81 ERA for New York.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: MLB roundup: Max Scherzer reportedly returning to Blue Jays on one-year deal
Reporting by Detroit News staff and wires, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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