Regardless of how optimistic you are on the Cubs’ spending plans this offseason, one thing is pretty clear: The Cubs are serious about adding pitchers.
The expected quality and price tag of those pitchers remains debatable, but both President Jed Hoyer and GM Carter Hawkins have said, in no uncertain terms, that pitching is where their focus will be. And that tracks just logically (by an examination of this roster) and reportedly, as just about every single existing Cubs rumor or loose free agent connection has been about a pitcher (Dylan Cease, Tatsuya Imai, Framber Valdez, Ranger Suarez, Brandon Woodruff, Tyler Mahle).
But today, Bruce Levine jumped on 670 The Score and threw a very new (or rather, very old) name into the ring — I’m thinking you might have heard of this guy: Max Scherzer.
Could Max Scherzer Be a Cubs Target?
“I’ll throw a name out there, another Boras client,” Levine told Lance Brozdowski on the latest episode of the Cubs Weekly Podcast, “Max Scherzer.”
He continued: “How would that look on a one-year deal for the Chicago Cubs. If you know they’re trying to win a pennant or a World Series, does that type of pitcher, even in his present form, and certainly he didn’t disappoint in the late-playoffs … would that type of pitcher fit into their plan, as well?”
Could Max Scherzer pen a 1-year deal with the Cubs?@MLBBruceLevine and @LanceBroz break it down on the latest episode of the Cubs Weekly Podcast!
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) November 13, 2025Max Scherzer, 40, is old and has made just 26 regular-season starts over the last two years combined … but he’s also a future Hall-of-Famer, who just told Ken Rosenthal that he wants to keep going:
“I still can do this,” the 18-year veteran said. “The way I see it, I’m healthy. I’m going to be able to go into spring training. I’m going to be able to ramp up,” Scherzer said. “I have a track record of being a durable starter. I know how to navigate a season. I know how to navigate starts. I just feel I’m in a much better position to be able to do that now that I have this thumb issue completely resolved.”
And although he didn’t finish the regular season strong, Scherzer did post a 3.60 ERA through his first 11 starts of the year and then came up big for the Blue Jays in the postseason, with a 3.77 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 14.1 playoff innings pitched. His velocity was also up a full MPH over last season.
Even more to the point, the Cubs were one of the teams that scouted Max Scherzer last winter, before he signed with the Blue Jays. So perhaps there is some general interest there.
© Jeff Curry-Imagn ImagesAnd on a more specific level, I can tell you why the Cubs might be interested in Scherzer: the likelihood that he’s seeking just a one-year deal. That would allow them to continue stacking up expiring contracts before the next CBA and/or labor stoppage, which seems to be a pretty serious priority, all while improving next year’s team.
Indeed, both MLBTR (one year, $18M) and The Athletic (one year, $14M) projected medium-money, one-year deals over the past two weeks. At that level, and with the expected exit of Shota Imanaga, the Cubs wouldn’t even really be adding payroll. And that’s without mentioning how low their payroll ALREADY is.
Now, the real question is whether or not you think Max Scherzer is the right pitcher for this team at this time, regardless of how much he costs to acquire. If you take his word for it, Scherzer dealt with some unusual injury issues last season that affected his performance later in the regular season. But once he healed up, “Oh my gosh,” he thought. “I feel like myself again.”
And this was even more encouraging: “Knowing that my thumb is healthy, that means my right arm is going to be healthy. That was the No. 1 worry,” Scherzer said. “I’m past that. I’m way past that. Now, looking forward, I want to still compete, and compete for a World Series. I want to continue my career and play in 2026.”
Hey, if Scherzer feels good, and you are counting on just 15-20 regular-season starts (plus some more in the playoffs), I could very much see him making sense on a go-for-it 2026 Cubs team. They’d still need to add ANOTHER, more sure-fire starting pitcher, in my opinion, but as a high-ceiling option on just a one-year commitment? Why not. And don’t sleep on the value of getting 15-ish starts in the regular season and saving bullets for October. The Dodgers just did that this past year and it worked out very well for them. Just sayin’. There might be some legitimate strategy to that.
Who knows if this one will actually gain any legs — I tend to think that Tatsuya Imai, Dylan Cease, and the trade market seem like more likely paths for the Cubs — but it’s an interesting thought experiment and something I’ll definitely start to keep on my radar.
Hence then, the article about could the cubs have interest in signing max scherzer this offseason was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Could the Cubs Have Interest in Signing Max Scherzer This Offseason? )
Also on site :