Is Max Scherzer ready to sign a midseason contract? Why ace veteran holds out for the 'right team'

Max Scherzer, who has won the Cy Young Award three times and is considered one of the best pitchers of all time, has not yet signed a contract as spring training begins in 2026. Scherzer is 41 years of age and reports that he has recovered from injury but is willing to wait for a chance to pitch for a team with a great possibility of winning the World Series rather than simply accepting any offer that comes his way.According to Scherzer, he is in good shape and would be ready to begin pitching immediately if the right opportunity presented itself with a team capable of making the playoffs. By taking this cautious stance, Scherzer hopes to remain available to pitch even after Opening Day, as injuries to key players on playoff teams typically create opportunities for veteran pitchers late in the season. Additionally, Scherzer is motivated by the same thing that has motivated him throughout his career, which is his desire to win a championship. Even though there is some expectation that contending teams will contact Scherzer as soon as the regular season starts and pitching rotations will have suffered some degree of injury or lack of performance early in the year, he is going to wait until then to sign with the right team for him. The success that other veteran pitchers like Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez have had in their careers demonstrates that signing late during the offseason does not preclude them from achieving success that the majority of players do not enjoy during the course of their careers. Scherzer is now on a path similar to those veterans that he wants to continue to have a positive impact on a winning team, rather than on a team that is currently rebuilding.After signing a one-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays worth $15.5 million and being limited to 17 starts in 2025 due to an injury-plagued year, Scherzer finished the regular season with a 5.17 ERA.However, his postseason performances were impressive with a 3.77 ERA in three pivotal games, including a strong showing in Game 7 of the World Series, where he demonstrated he could still compete at a high level when healthy.With no more injuries holding him back, Scherzer now considers himself a valuable asset as a veteran presence and leader for all rotations. Teams looking to add some veteran depth as they approach September and the playoffs will find Scherzer to be the perfect mid-season pickup to help them succeed in October.