For hire: Future Hall of Fame starting pitcher with a track record of excellence, a competitive fire the likes of which few have ever matched and a wealth of postseason experience.

On paper, Max Scherzer looks like a player who would help a number of contending teams, so why is the three-time Cy Young Award winner still a free agent?

Despite Scherzer¡¯s brilliant career, the 40-year-old is coming off of an injury-riddled season in which he went 2-4 with a 3.95 ERA in only nine starts. His days as a 200-inning workhorse are likely behind him, but can Scherzer still provide the 140-150 quality innings the way he did in 2022 and 2023?

Scherzer recently threw for an unspecified number of teams at Cressey Sports Performance in Florida, where he works out during the offseason. One source who watched Scherzer throw said the veteran hurler looked good.

¡°He looked like Max Scherzer,¡± a source said. ¡°His Cy Young days are definitely behind him, but he¡¯s still good enough to be an effective starter.¡±

A number of teams have been loosely connected to Scherzer this winter, though the Blue Jays appear to be the most serious about signing him, sources said.

Scherzer would join Kevin Gausman, Jos¨¦ Berr¨ªos and Chris Bassitt in the rotation for Toronto, which also has Bowden Francis and Yariel Rodr¨ªguez among its starting options. The Blue Jays were one of the finalists for Roki Sasaki before he signed with the Dodgers, so it¡¯s no surprise that Toronto would still be in the market for another starter.

¡°Toronto has been hot for him for about two months,¡± one source said. ¡°[The Blue Jays] certainly feel like the favorites to get him.¡±

The biggest obstacle for the Blue Jays could be the state of the roster, which has added Anthony Santander, Jeff Hoffman, Yimi Garc¨ªa, Andr¨¦s Gim¨¦nez and Myles Straw this winter. Toronto has also fallen short in its pursuit of bigger names including Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes and Sasaki this offseason, leaving some to wonder whether the addition of Scherzer would be enough for the Jays to contend in the ultra-competitive American League East.

Perhaps the person that will need the most convincing is Scherzer himself, who could be entering the final season of his career. Should the Blue Jays manage to add another notable piece ¨C Pete Alonso? Alex Bregman? ¨C it could go a long way toward showing Scherzer how serious they are about getting back to the postseason.

¡°Is Scherzer more concerned with how much money he gets or the potential for winning?¡± a source said. ¡°He¡¯s made more than $300 million already, so you would have to think going to a good situation with a contender is the biggest thing for him. If he signs with a team that underperforms, he¡¯ll be looking at another midseason trade. It¡¯s hard to imagine that¡¯s what he wants.¡±

Both Alex Cobb and Justin Verlander signed one-year deals this offseason worth $15 million, which is the range most expect Scherzer¡¯s deal to land. Even after handing out more than $140 million to Santander, Hoffman and Garc¨ªa (some of which was deferred) ¨C not to mention absorbing roughly $109 million in their acquisitions of Gim¨¦nez and Straw ¨C the Blue Jays still appear willing to spend to improve the roster.

Will Scherzer be part of that equation? A lot of that will depend on which other teams make a pitch to the right-hander in the coming days and weeks.

¡°He can still pitch,¡± a source said. ¡°He makes sense for Toronto because it would be a one-year commitment, but you can say the same thing about other teams, too.¡±