Early Friday, it was reported that future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer held a throwing session that a number of teams were present for.

Eight teams were listed, including three of the Orioles’ division rivals. And yes, somehow the Dodgers were listed as one of the teams in attendance.

We’ve speculated a couple times here at Birds Watcher that Scherzer would be a decent fit in Baltimore. As the O’s weren’t among the teams at Scherzer’s showcase, it’s fair to assume that Mike Elias isn’t interested in adding the veteran righty, at least for now.

But out of all eight teams, Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated mentioned that Scherzer’s camp had been in contact with just one of those potential suitors. Surprisingly, he mentioned that Scherzer had spoken with Toronto.

The Blue Jays, of course, have just recently signed former Orioles star Anthony Santander to a long-term deal. While Scherzer won’t command that kind of contract at his age, he’s been good enough over the last couple years, even while missing significant time due to injury, to be seen as a potential threat to anyone that has to face him.

Latest rumors could have both Max Scherzer and Pete Alonso heading to Toronto

Scherzer lost some velocity on his fastball in 2024 and saw some of his peripheral stats start to move in the wrong direction, but he’s still just two years removed from throwing 145.1 innings with the Mets to the tune of a 2.29 ERA.

If Scherzer winds up in Toronto and can manage to stay healthy, that could be a legit problem for the Orioles.

Not to mention that this most recent Scherzer news is on the heels of some firm rumors about former Mets first baseman Pete Alonso reportedly being in advanced talks with the Blue Jays as well.

Earlier this winter, Alonso’s agent Scott Boras had mentioned that they were asking for the moon in any potential Alonso deal. d a 9-year dal worth $214 million over a decade ago.

That contract went incredibly poorly for all involved, as Fielder spent just two years with Detroit before being shipped to Texas and shortly after being forced into a medically induced retirement halfway through the deal.

So while the Mets have reportedly been out on Alonso at his asking price, the Jays are seemingly trying to do anything they can to win while Vladimir Guerrero Jr is still in town.

Spending top dollar to acquire Alonso would both give them a better chance to win in 2025, and give them some insurance if Guerrero decides to depart after the 2025 season.

If either of these moves happen, it’ll be trouble for the Orioles. The AL East is difficult enough without Toronto coming back into the conversation.

If they’re able to add both Alonso and Scherzer back to back, that’s just going to make things even more difficult. We’ve got our fingers crossed that things don’t work out, and that both of those guys wind up outside the division.