Max Scherzer is joining the Toronto Blue Jays, agreeing to a 15.5 million, one-year contract on Thursday, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced and was pending a physical.

The 40-year-old Scherzer was limited to nine starts with Texas last year, going 2-4 with a 3.95 ERA. The three-time Cy Young Award winner opened the season on the injured list while he recovered from lower back surgery. He also was on the IL from Aug. 2 to Sept. 13 because of shoulder fatigue, and he missed the end of the season because of a left hamstring strain.

Scherzer joins a rotation that is fronted by Kevin Gausman, José Berríos and Chris Bassitt. The Blue Jays also have Bowden Francis coming off an impressive rookie season and Yariel Rodríguez, who signed a $32 million, five-year contract last February.

The Blue Jays finished last in the AL East with a 74-88 record in 2024. They haven’t won a playoff game since they were eliminated by Cleveland in the 2016 AL Championship Series. They were swept in the wild-card round in 2020, 2022 and 2023.

The addition of Scherzer marks a second notable move for Toronto after it finalized a $92.5 million, five-year contract with outfielder Anthony Santander on Jan. 20.

Figure skating

U.S. Olympic legend Button dies at 95

Dick Button was more than the most accomplished men’s figure skater in history. He was one of his sport’s great innovators and promoters, the man responsible not only for inventing the flying camel spin but describing it to generations of fans.

He was an athlete and actor, a broadcaster and entrepreneur.

“Dick was one of the most important figures in our sport,” said Scott Hamilton, the 1984 Olympic champion. “There wasn’t a skater after Dick who wasn’t helped by him in some way.”

The winner of two Olympic gold medals and five consecutive world championships, Button died Thursday in North Salem, New York, at age 95. His death was confirmed by his son, Edward, who did not provide a cause, though Button had been in declining health.

His death further shook a tight-knight figure skating community already reeling from Wednesday night’s crash of an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter outside Washington, D.C., that killed everyone on board. Two teenage skaters, their mothers and two former world champions who were coaching at the Skating Club of Boston — where Button also skated and which he remained close to the rest of his life — were among the 14 people killed from the skating community.

Men’s basketball

Concordia tops Mankato, ending long skid

Antwan Kimmons finished with 37 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and Marcus Skeete added 19 points and 11 boards as Concordia-St. Paul snapped a 20-game losing streak to Minnesota State Mankato with a 93-71 victory in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference game at Ganglehoff Center.

Concordia (16-5, 11-4 NSIC) beat the Mavericks (13-9, 9-5) for the first time since 2015.

Senior forward Cade Meyer finished with 14 points and seven rebounds for the Golden Bears, giving him 1,002 combined points for three teams in his college career.

Golf

McIlroy, Lowry come up aces at Pebble Beach

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. >> Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry decorated stunning views Thursday with a hole-in-one for each on different courses. Russell Henley birdied his last two holes for an 8-under 64 and the lead. And there was Scottie Scheffler, looking very much like he was never away.

Scheffler, out of golf for a month from a freak injury making ravioli, opened with a bogey at Spyglass Hill, didn’t make another bogey the rest of the way, missed only one green and began his encore with a 67.

“I like what I saw today,” Scheffler said, who wound up missing two tournaments to start the year. “I hit a few errant shots out there, but overall kept the course in front of me for the most part, so I was able to make a decent amount of birdies.”

Jordan Spieth, the three-time major champion who last played in August before season-ending surgery on his left wrist, had the birdies dry up after a solid start on the back nine at Spyglass Hill, and he had to settle for a 70.

Briefly

NBA >> San Antonio star and reigning rookie of the year Victor Wembanyama is an All-Star for the first time, one of the 14 players announced Thursday night as members of the reserve pool for the Feb. 16 event in San Francisco.

NBA >> Unusual betting patterns surrounding the play of then-Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier in a game nearly two years ago are now under investigation by federal prosecutors, part of the same probe that led to the lifetime ban of Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter, the NBA confirmed.

NHL >> The Utah Hockey Club has chosen three finalists for the permanent team name it will adopt beginning with the 2025-26 NHL season. The franchise will use a final round of fan voting to decide among the Utah Mammoth, Utah Hockey Club and, now, Utah Outlaws.

NHL >> The Dallas Stars’ injury problems this season continued, as they learned thry would be without its top defenseman for at least the next few weeks. Stars coach Pete DeBoer announced at practice that Miro Heiskanen has been ruled week-to-week with a knee injury.

SKIING >> Mikaela Shiffrin finished 10th in a World Cup slalom race on her injury comeback, with Croatian racer Zrinka Ljutic winning in style under floodlights at Courchevel, France.

Golf >> A Lim Kim shot a bogey-free, 7-under 65 on Thursday to take a four-shot lead in the opening round of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, the LGPA Tour season opener in Orlando, Fla

Baseball >> The New York Mets bolstered their bullpen, finalizing a one-year contract with right-hander Ryne Stanek.

WNBA >> Free agent Brionna Jones is signing with the Atlanta Dream, her agent, Boris Lelchitski, confirmed to The Associated Press. The three-time All-Star had played her entire career with the Connecticut Sun after being drafted No. 8 in 2017.

— From news services