Reports on Friday indicated that reunion talks between future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer and the Toronto Blue Jays have gotten more serious over the last week.

Scherzer signed a one-year deal with the Jays before the 2025 season, battling through an injury-plagued campaign, but he did step up in the playoffs. He won a crucial game in the American League Championship Series and also pitched valiantly in Game 7 of the World Series as the Blue Jays fell just short against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

By all accounts, Scherzer and his family enjoyed the Toronto experience, and with the Jays expected to contend for the title again, it's understandable why he'd want to return.

But a possible return is not without complications.

First, the Blue Jays already have (seemingly) a set starting rotation. Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, Cody Ponce and Dylan Cease are the projected five starters, but with Bieber set to start the year on the injured list, Jose Berrios is slated to take his spot.

Is Bieber more hurt than the team is letting on, necessitating the need for Scherzer? If that's the case, do they not trust Berrios anymore to have that spot for the long-term? 

Is the team willing to move Eric Lauer this spring in order to bring Scherzer in and push Berrios back to the 'pen? Is the group going to be more cautious with Yesavage after he threw more than 100 total innings in his first professional season?

As Mitch Bannon of The Athletic correctly noted, a pitcher of Scherzer's caliber (likely) isn't signing for a non-guaranteed role, so if the team brings him back, there is surely another shoe to drop.

A future Hall of Famer, Scherzer is now 41 and an 18-year veteran. He's played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Dodgers, New York Mets, Texas Rangers and Blue Jays, going 221-117 in his career. A three-time Cy Young winner, Scherzer is also a two-time World Series champion. He led baseball in strikeouts for three straight years from 2016-2018 and is also an eight-time All-Star.

As stated above, he signed a one-year deal with the Blue Jays before the 2025 season.

Scherzer was injured much of the regular season, only making 17 starts and pitching to a disappointing 5.19 ERA.

Reliever Yimi Garcia won't be ready for Opening Day as he works back from injury. This opens up another spot in the bullpen, with guys like Spencer Miles, Angel Basatrdo, Yariel Rodriguez and Braydon Fisher likely to battle for the final spots.

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!