"Rather have Justin Verlander back"; "No more old men" - Giants fans oppose bringing 41-year-old Max Scherzer to San Francisco

The San Francisco Giants are reportedly among the teams showing interest in veteran right-hander Max Scherzer, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, as they look to strengthen their starting rotation this offseason.

Scherzer is coming off a one-year stint with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he was injured for part of the season but returned in time for the postseason. The three-time Cy Young Award winner finished with a record of 5-5 and posted a 5.19 ERA in limited appearances this season. While his pedigree is not in question, durability has become increasingly more of a concern.

The veteran right-handed pitcher is a free agent, and we have already seen multiple teams connected to him, including the Giants, in early offseason reports.

However, the rumor has not been well received among fans, many of whom voiced frustration at the potential for the team to sign another aging arm.

"Rather have Verlander back," a fan said. "If that’s the case, just re-sign Verlander," another fan wrote. "No more old men!" one fan commented. "I don’t mind it. Have him and JV mentor the young guys. Let’s get some young guys too," another fan said. "If they get Scherzer and don’t try for Tatsuya Imai, Framber Valdez, or Zac Gallen, I’m gonna be pissed," one fan tweeted. "He would be worse than Verlander," a fan wrote.

Scherzer says thumb injury is 'completely resolved' ahead of spring training

Veteran pitcher Max Scherzer says that he is fully past the thumb injury that kept him sidelined for a major portion of 2025 and plans to go through a normal offseason.

"The way I see it, I'm healthy. I'm going to be able to go into spring training and ramp up," Scherzer said. "I have a track record of being a durable starter… I'm in a much better position now that this thumb issue is completely resolved."

Scherzer signed a one-year, $15.5 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays last winter but made only one start before landing on the injured list. The 41-year-old admitted he briefly considered retirement, saying, "If I wasn’t going to be healthy… it’s not fun sitting on the IL."

He returned on June 25, initially limited to short outings before finding his rhythm again. From July 11 to August 25, Scherzer posted a 3.49 ERA over eight starts. With his thumb now fully healed, Scherzer intends to continue pitching in 2026, confident he can handle a full workload once again.

Edited by Shubham Soni