Blue Jays Sign Free Agent Starter With Max Scherzer's Blessing

 The Toronto Blue Jays have a run into a boatload of injuries to their starting staff early this season. To help fill the void, they've dipped into the free agent market to sign veteran starter Patrick Corbin. 

It's a one year, $1 Million dollar deal. 

And according to Jays beat writer Ben Nicholson Smith, they first got the blessing of Max Scherzer, a former  teammate of Corbin's.

The Blue Jays asked Max Scherzer about Patrick Corbin and he gave his former Nats teammate a “glowing review.”

Scherzer told me & @thehazelmae: “He's a durable starter. He takes the ball and he presents challenges to hitters because his fastball-slider tunnel is really good.”

— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) April 4, 2026

 Scherzer and Corbin won a World Series together with the Washington Nationals back in 2019. 

“He's a durable starter. He takes the ball and he presents challenges to hitters because his fastball-slider tunnel is really good," said Scherzer. 

“We definitely view him as a starter or a length option,” manager John Schneider said. “Until the dominoes start to fall back into place with Trey, José and Bieber, you look for length and how we can use it.”

He'll likely only be around at the back end of the rotation long enough to stem the tide until some if their injured arms can return. Trey Yesavage and Jose Berrios should be the first ones to come back, then Shane Bieber will follow later. 

Corbin has been sent to the low minors to get his pitch count up, but should be ready pretty soon, per Schneider. 

The veteran lefty has a career 4.51 ERA and last year's 4.40 mark was his first time under a 5.00 ERA in five years. 

Corbin. 36, has severely diminished velocity in recent years, and gives up a ton of hard contact. 

Photo:  Jerome Miron-Imagn Images