Max Scherzer’s free agency could extend into the season, per reports, as teams weigh his veteran presence against durability concerns.
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer pointed to the Kansas City Royals as a compelling surprise option.
“According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the latest on Max Scherzer is that he could pull a Roger Clemens and wait until the middle of the 2026 season to pick a team,” Rymer wrote on Monday. “That would make a lot of sense for him, as the last two seasons have proved him to be well past his peak durability. The question, then, is which team could be in a position to both need him and be able to entice him.”
“The Royals stand out because, while they’re likely to contend on the strength of their starting pitching, their rotation also resembles a house of cards,” Rymer continued.
“Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha are in their mid-30s, and Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic both ran into major injury trouble last year. Plus, Scherzer is a Missouri native. He’s more so associated with St. Louis, but he played college ball at the University of Missouri, about a two-hour drive from Kansas City.”
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Scherzer contributed quality starts for the American League champion Toronto Blue Jays in limited action during 2025 despite age-related limitations.
In a Hall of Fame-track career since 2008, Scherzer has over 3,300 strikeouts, three Cy Young Awards, and a World Series title.
