Max Scherzer Delays Decision on 20th MLB Season Until Offseason

Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer announced he will wait until the offseason to decide whether to play in 2027.

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer announced Saturday he will wait until the offseason to decide if he will return for a 20th major league season in 2027. The 42-year-old is scheduled to start on short rest against Cincinnati in Sunday’s season finale. Scherzer currently holds a 3-9 record with a career-worst 6.14 ERA through 17 starts this year, following a 2025 campaign where he went 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA.

In his most recent outing last Wednesday against Baltimore, Scherzer allowed four runs over five innings while striking out seven batters. That performance brought his career strikeout total to 3,550, placing him ninth on the all-time list after he surpassed Gaylord Perry during a 10-strikeout game against Seattle last month. Justin Verlander, who entered Saturday with 3,554 strikeouts, is the only other active pitcher with more than 3,500 punchouts.

Scherzer is playing under a $3 million, one-year contract signed in February. He has secured $2 million in performance bonuses this season by reaching the 65-inning and 75-inning milestones. The three-time Cy Young Award winner owns a career record of 224-126 across 500 games and 491 starts since debuting with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008.