The Blue Jays are heading into the winter with a clear pitching priority: find starters who can take the ball, stay upright, and steady a rotation that was hammered by injuries last season.
That’s the lane Toronto appears ready to drive into again in free agency. The club missed the playoffs in 2026 after a year defined by injuries and uneven performances, and the rotation took a major hit along the way. This offseason, the Jays are expected to pursue arms they believe can offer stability and rack up starts.
As MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson put it: “Some injuries, you can see coming. When the 42-year-old Max Scherzer runs into a few IL stints, no one should be surprised.
When José Berríos has Tommy John surgery after not missing a start for nearly a decade, it's terribly unfortunate, but we all understand the realities of baseball and the limitations of the human elbow. The Blue Jays are trying to find that line now between bad luck and controllable variables,"
One name that fits that search is Tyler Mahle. The veteran right-hander looked like a rough free-agent bet at one point after struggling with the Giants, where he posted a 5.13 ERA in 18 starts. But after the trade deadline, his year turned sharply in the right direction once he landed with Atlanta.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand noted that Mahle’s market value had taken a hit before that turnaround, writing: “Mahle's free-agent prospects for this winter looked bleak given his performance with the Giants (5.13 ERA in 18 starts)," ... Mahle will be the Braves' Game 2 starter, and a strong October could help the right-hander land a better deal this offseason."
He got that strong October.
SI’s Maddy Dickens made the case that Toronto should be the team to cash in on the resurgence, writing: “Ultimately, this team needs depth and Tyler Mahle would be the next best option who could go right in the middle of the rotation as he posted a 1.99 ERA with the Atlanta Braves after the trade deadline. Then, Mahle went into the postseason, where he held opponents to a .184 average in a pair of starts and kept the ERA to an impressive 1.35. He is going to be a hot commodity and will cost a lot less than Skubal,”
For a Blue Jays club expected to be active in free agency again, Mahle checks a lot of boxes. He would give Toronto another experienced option for the rotation mix and add depth behind the team’s established top starters.
In Other News...
Braves Face A Tough 40-Man Squeeze With Intriguing Prospects At Risk
The Braves are staring at one of those early-winter roster decisions that can shape the next few seasons as much as the next few weeks. With the Rule 5 Draft approaching, Atlanta has several minor leaguers who are eligible to be taken by other clubs unless they are protected on the 40-man roster by mid-November, which puts added pressure on a front office already trying to balance immediate depth with long-term upside.
Among the names in that mix are David McCabe, Davis Polo and Drue Hackenberg, a group that gives the decision some real bite because these are the kinds of prospects teams do not want to lose for nothing. There is also a wrinkle hanging over the whole process, though, because the draft itself may not even happen this winter if MLBs expected lockout leads to another cancellation, leaving the Braves to manage a squeeze that could end up looking very different once the calendar turns. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Rotation Search Could Lead Anthopoulos Back To A Familiar Bet
Alex Anthopoulos has never been shy about betting on a pitcher he thinks can help the Braves on a short-term deal, and this offseason could present another familiar kind of gamble. With Atlanta still looking at ways to reinforce a rotation that has been tested by injuries and inconsistency, the profile of a left-hander like Kris Bubic fits the general managers usual lane: a one-year contract, some upside, and a chance for both sides to reset the market later.
Bubics appeal is rooted in the same mix that makes him tricky to project. He is coming off injuries and a recent stretch of uneven results, but he also has the kind of rsum that can make a pitcher attractive to a club willing to trust its development staff and its own pitching infrastructure. Nothing is finalized, and no negotiations have been reported, but the Braves have shown before that they are willing to take a calculated swing on a starter who needs to rebuild value. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Bring Back A Familiar Name With Big Draft Stakes
The Braves are bringing back a familiar front-office voice as they strengthen their draft and scouting operation. Dana Brown is returning to Atlanta as a Senior Advisor in Amateur Scouting, adding a seasoned evaluator to a department that has long been central to the clubs roster-building approach. Brown previously spent time with the Braves before moving on to Houston, where he eventually became general manager.
His path back to Atlanta comes after his stint with the Astros ended in August 2026, when the two sides mutually parted ways. For the Braves, the move restores a name with deep scouting experience to a role that can matter a great deal when draft season arrives and every decision in the amateur market carries extra weight. [Read more 🡒]