Blue Jays urged to avoid reunion with Game 7 star and future Hall of Famer originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Among the decisions the Toronto Blue Jays have to make this offseason, right-handed pitcher Max Scherzer is at the top of the list.

While it could make sense to bring back someone like Scherzer due to how we threw in Game 7 of the World Series, it’s better for Toronto to understand his whole body of work at this stage of his career.

At 41 years old, Scherzer isn’t in the best spot to continue playing in Major League Baseball, but he indicated after the year that he wants to.

Despite his comments, some believe the Blue Jays shouldn’t consider moving on, including Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report, who urged them to part ways with the future Hall of Famer in free agency.

“Man, it was cool watching Max Scherzer turn back the clock in the postseason and take down meaningful innings for a Toronto Blue Jays team that nearly won the World Series,” Kelly wrote. “That doesn’t mean, however, that he’s a wise bet moving forward…

“When the three-time Cy Young Award winner is one day inducted into the Hall of Fame, Blue Jays fans will be able to claim him as having had some really special postseason moments for their team. But the reality is that before the playoffs, his time north of the border was viewed as a disaster. Whoever signs him for 2026 is much more likely to get that version of him.”

Why keeping Max Scherzer makes sense

While moving on from Scherzer wouldn’t be the worst idea, there’s also a side of the story that suggests keeping him in town isn’t a bad idea either.

Scherzer can help some of the young arms on this pitching staff, which often proves to be valuable down the line.