Mad Max has officially put pen to paper.
Veteran right-hander Max Scherzer passed his physical Tuesday with the Toronto Blue Jays before officially signing his one-year, $15.5-million contract, as the club announced.
To make room on the 40-man roster, the team has designated fellow righty Michael Petersen for assignment, creating an open spot for Scherzer. He was claimed off waivers from the Miami Marlins in November.
Petersen made 16 relief appearances in the majors last season, 11 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and five with the Marlins, who snatched him off the waiver wire in early September. Overall, the 30-year-old reliever pitched to a 5.95 ERA and 5.56 FIP with 14 strikeouts across 19.2 combined innings.
The Middlesex, U.K., native flourished with the Dodgers’ triple-A affiliate before heading to South Beach, posting a flashy 1.64 ERA, 2.29 FIP and a 28.8-per-cent strikeout-to-walk rate difference (K-BB%) in 33 innings over 35 appearances. He also recorded 10 saves, garnering attention because of his high-90s four-seamer — which featured a 97.1-m.p.h. average fastball velocity in 2024, placing in the 92nd percentile.
Petersen’s arsenal also includes a high-80s cutter, changeup and a mid-80s slider.
For Scherzer, his deal with Toronto includes a full no-trade clause, providing him 100 per cent control should the franchise become sellers ahead of this season’s trade deadline.