Two clear Hall of Fame pitchers are still on the market. So what's the story?

Sometime in the early part of the next decade, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander will find themselves in Cooperstown. And while it would be completely understandable for the pair of 40-somethings to hang up their spikes and begin their five-year clock to the Hall of Fame ballot, neither seems ready to call it a career.

Scherzer and Verlander remain available, part of a free-agent group that includes fellow starting pitchers Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen, Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito, Zack Littell and Jose Quintana.

Scherzer is 41 years old, while Verlander turns 43 later this month. With 487 career victories and six Cy Young Awards between them, the two right-handers have already cemented themselves as two of the best pitchers this century. But do they still have something to offer a team in 2026?

“I think they both have something left in the tank,” an American League executive said. “At a minimum, their experience is so vast that they have insights to help rotations and staffs in a variety of ways beyond just their performance, which is diminished from the extraordinary bar that they both set previously.”

A few other executives echoed the “something left in the tank” sentiment, though the consensus was that relying on them to stay healthy and productive over a 162-game season might be asking too much.

“Neither guy is what they used to be, but both could still help a team along the way,” an AL executive said. “The Scherzer we saw in the playoffs was a well-rested pitcher that looked far better than he did at the end of the regular season. The problem is, you can’t give him three or four weeks off in between starts. It’s a good approach for the player, but a tough one for a team.”

Scherzer recently told The Athletic that while he is healthy and ready to sign right now, he’s prepared to wait for the right opportunity with the right team to present itself. It’s difficult to imagine Scherzer (or Verlander, for that matter) signing with a rebuilding team, so waiting until the middle of the season to sign would not only reduce the number of innings he would have to throw, but also allow him to see how the season is shaping up in terms of the postseason race.

“I think that especially for Max, who has battled some injuries, waiting to get going could make sense for him and whatever team wants or needs him,” an AL executive said. “Signing towards the end of April, ramping up in May and being able to produce 70 innings or so would be an ideal path for him.”

“Those guys are warriors,” another AL executive said. “Waiting until the stretch run when other rotations are depleted and you have a better understanding of who will be standing at the end might make a lot of sense for both of those guys.”

For pitchers with the stature of Scherzer and Verlander, waiting until midseason to sign would be unusual – but not unprecedented. In his third season with the Astros in 2006, 43-year-old Roger Clemens signed on May 31 and debuted on June 22. The next year, Clemens signed with the Yankees on May 6, making his season debut five weeks later at age 44.

“Aiming for a mid-year return might not be the worst idea,” a National League executive said. “Out of respect for these two future Hall of Famers, I wouldn’t want to completely discount what they might be able to achieve in a shorter stretch in 2026. It’s just difficult to count on it for the majority of the season.”

Last season, it looked like Verlander’s career was headed toward a bumpy ending. He went 0-8 with a 4.99 ERA in his first 16 starts with the Giants, finally earning his first win of the year on July 23. That game turned around Verlander’s entire season: He went 4-3 with a 2.60 ERA over his final 13 outings. For the year, Verlander posted a 3.85 ERA over 152 innings (29 starts).

After making his first start on March 29, Scherzer battled right thumb inflammation that kept him out for three months. The righty had some good stretches (a 2.25 ERA over five starts between July 27 and Aug. 19) and some bad ones (a 9.00 ERA over his final six starts of the regular season). Then, after being left off the Blue Jays’ ALDS roster, Scherzer posted a 3.77 ERA over three starts in the ALCS and World Series.

“The version of Scherzer we saw in the postseason can still get quality Major League batters out,” an NL exec said.

Will Scherzer and/or Verlander sign prior to the season or join a team this summer? Is it possible they have thrown the final pitches of their legendary careers? It seems that many of baseball’s decision-makers believe they both still have something to offer, making it likely that those clocks to Cooperstown aren’t ready to start ticking just yet.

“I wouldn’t bet against either of them,” an AL executive said. “They’re both incredibly competitive guys who love the moment. I don’t know if they can endure a full season, but in a sprint, I’d take my chances.”

“I think that they can deliver value in three different forms,” an NL executive said. “One, they can share their wisdom and set the standard of excellence drawing from their experiences winning World Series and Cy Youngs. Two, they still have the ability to help teams win in the regular season. Three, as Scherzer demonstrated last year, they can elevate their game and become factors in the postseason. One could argue that they are valuable if they do one of these three things; more than one, they are worth quite a bit.”