The future Hall of Famer has struggled in his second go-around with the Blue Jays, which will lead to some tough questions in the near future.
The Toronto Blue Jays are headed for some tough conversations.
Could they be ready - and willing - to move on from future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer just a month into the 2026 season?
It's a discussion that is surely happening right now inside the walls at the Rogers Centre, so let's lay out the situation logically, bit-by-bit.
Scherzer has struggled
Signed to a one-year deal during spring training, Scherzer has made five starts for Toronto, pitching to a 9.64 ERA. He's 1-3 and two of his last three starts have seen him go just 2.1 innings each. He gave up seven earned runs on six hits and three walks in Friday's 8-6 loss against the Cleveland Guardians, putting immense pressure on the bullpen.
It should be noted that he went six innings against the Diamondbacks last weekend, giving up just two runs, but other than that, it's been a tough first month for the future Hall of Famer.
Also, Scherzer isn't missing many bats. One of the top strikeout artists in baseball history, he has just one in his last 8.1 innings, and only 10 total for the season.
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer (31) walks to the dugout during the third inning after being relieved at a MLB game against the Cleveland Guardians at Rogers Centre. Kevin Sousa-Imagn ImagesThe Jays are getting healthier
Trey Yesavage and Jose Berrios are both working back from injury. Yesavage could be back as early as next week, and Berrios is right behind him. The Jays will have to open up rotation spots when they return. How they will do it is at the crux of this piece.
What are the options for Toronto?
Well, it's likely that Eric Lauer will eventually be sent to the bullpen to re-assume his role in long relief. If he is, then a bullpen arm will be forced down to the minor leagues or moved on from.
Beyond that, it comes down to whether or not the Blue Jays want to keep Scherzer or veteran Patrick Corbin. The 36-year-old Corbin is 0-0 with a 3.68 ERA in three starts, striking out 12 batters in 14.2 innings.
Perhaps there's a chance that Scherzer could stay in the rotation and Corbin could move to the bullpen, allowing the Jays to keep him also, but then they'd have to move another bullpen arm to create room.
Tough spot to be in
It might seem simple enough for the Jays to move on from Scherzer or Corbin, but for a team that has had so many injury issues already, do they really want to be jettisoning arms that are healthy and available?
JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
Remember to join our BLUE JAYS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Blue Jays fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!