Blue Jays&#39; $3M Max Scherzer gamble could turn into $10M in loaded high-risk incentives

Blue Jays' $3M Max Scherzer gamble could turn into $10M in loaded high-risk incentives originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Toronto Blue Jays have spent the past few weeks searching for a back-end starter to support the frontline they assembled at the start of free agency. For a long time, veteran Max Scherzer’s name kept popping up in connection with a potential reunion, and the Blue Jays eventually began actively pursuing him.

“The Blue Jays have maintained some interest in Max Scherzer throughout the winter, and talks between the two sides have become more serious over the past week, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. There’s no deal in place, and there are still other clubs hoping to sign the future Hall of Famer, but Toronto has apparently hastened its efforts to get the three-time Cy Young winner back to the Rogers Centre,” MLB Trade Rumors’ Steve Adams wrote.

On Wednesday, the Blue Jays successfully convinced Scherzer to agree to a surprisingly modest deal compared to his previous contracts.

“Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer has agreed to return to the Toronto Blue Jays, a source confirmed to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez on Wednesday. The deal is for one year and $3 million, according to multiple reports,” ESPN wrote.

Scherzer had multiple teams interested, but ultimately, it was the Blue Jays who secured him. Perhaps the opportunity to return to Toronto was appealing, or it could have been the structure of the performance incentives offered.

“The performance bonuses in Max Scherzer’s one-year, $3M contract with the Blue Jays, according to a source: $1M each for 65, 75, 85, 95, 105, 115, 125, 135, 145 and 155 innings. Maximum of $10M,” MLB reporter Ken Rosenthal posted.

The Blue Jays got the pitcher they wanted, and there is no doubt about that. While Scherzer had other offers, those teams likely wanted him to sign later in the season, which was the expected timeline.

However, it’s the incentives that likely convinced Scherzer to join the roster earlier than anticipated. Toronto knew they had to structure a unique deal to get him to agree, and they executed it perfectly.

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