The Blue Jays made yet another significant move to improve their roster on Thursday, singing future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer to a 1-year, $15.75 million contract.

Admittedly, Scherzer’s name arguably carries more value than the performance he can offer on the field these days at 40 years old, but this was a more than worthwhile gamble for the Blue Jays for several reasons. It wasn’t that long ago that “Mad Max” was still considered to be one of the best hurlers in the game, finishing third in NL Cy Young voting in 2021, and posting a 2.23 ERA over 23 starts for the Mets in 2022. He was still effective last season when he was healthy, managing a 3.95 ERA over 9 starts that covered 43 1/3 innings.

The addition is helpful for the Blue Jays in a variety of ways beyond just bringing in a quality player.

They badly needed to add to the depth of their starting rotation in general, and Scherzer’s signing helps reinforce an area of need. It also likely bumps Yariel Rodriguez from the #5 spot in the rotation down to the bullpen, which makes the relief corps a stronger unit as well. They’ll also get the benefit of veteran experience and leadership, and Scherzer has long been known for his fire and passion for the game. He might be nearing the end of his storied career, but this is a veteran who still wants to win.

On that note, I don’t think it would be at all surprising if the Blue Jays added one more significant piece to the puzzle, even if they’re already obliterating their previous franchise records for payroll. I’d go as far as saying that Scherzer agreeing to come to the Blue Jays might be a strong clue that there’s more to come.

That’s no guarantee of course, but last week there were plenty of rumours tying both Scherzer and Pete Alonso to Toronto, with some even implying that it could be somewhat of a package deal. The duo are reportedly good friends, and it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to think that Scherzer sought some assurances that the Jays would continue to add before he agreed to sign on the dotted line. That could mean that Alonso won’t be far behind his old Mets teammate in joining the Blue Jays, or perhaps it’s Alex Bregman, who is getting close to accepting the reported offer he has in hand at the moment.

I’ll admit that it’s equally possible that chequebooks are closed for the winter now after another $15.75 million was spent, plus the applicable luxury taxes that will come with it now that the Jays are above the second threshold. But I don’t think Atkins is done here, and Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi would agree. Davidi was on 590 the Fan on Thursday and said, “I also wonder if there’s sort of a guarantee that there is gonna be something next for the Blue Jays”.

At this point, it’s unclear if Scherzer knows something that we don’t, but if that’s the case then it wouldn’t surprise me if the next domino falls sooner than later.

Whether that’s an All-Star like Alonso or Bregman or perhaps another dip into the trade pool, I’m sure I won’t be the only Blue Jays fan paying close attention over the next few days.