The Toronto Blue Jays have a rotation problem to solve, and it starts with health.
This past season, the staff never really got into a rhythm because the starters couldn’t stay on the mound consistently. That instability made life harder than it needed to be, and fixing it is going to be one of the Blue Jays’ biggest priorities this offseason.
If everything breaks right in 2027, Toronto could line up with a very strong group. Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, Jose Soriano and Cody Ponce would give the club a four-man rotation to work with, and José Berríos eventually returns to the picture as well. But there’s still a clear case for adding another arm, especially with Berríos working his way back.
As SI’s Maddy Dickens put it, “So, as long as Cody Ponce is healthy when Opening Day comes around, they will be running a four-man rotation as is: Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, Jose Soriano, and Cody Ponce. Eventually, the team will welcome back Jose Berrios, but it has been a rough go of things in terms of his health,”
The bigger question for Toronto is how much of this injury mess is just bad luck and how much can be managed. MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson framed it this way: “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 possible answer is Michael King. CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa believes Toronto could chase the right-hander this winter.
“King has reportedly already opted out of the final two years and $58 million remaining on his contract and he should have no trouble beating that this offseason, even if it is more total dollars over more years but at a lower annual salary. King is a five-pitch righty with an extreme east/west attack -- the movement on King's sinker, sweeper, and changeup border on cartoonish -- who makes his living by limiting hard contact more than he does missing bats and blowing hitters away,” Axisa wrote.
King would bring another dependable option to a staff that needs more insulation against injuries. He doesn’t overpower hitters, but he does a good job of keeping the ball from being struck hard, and that kind of profile can matter over a long season.
He made $25 million this past season with the San Diego Padres, and for a Blue Jays team trying to get back to the World Series, a move like that would fit the mission. Adding King could give Toronto another layer of protection and help build a deeper rotation for another run in 2027.
In Other News...
Yankees Face A Massive Gunnar Henderson Decision With Their Future At Stake
The idea of the Yankees making a run at Gunnar Henderson has become one of the more intriguing possibilities on the board, and it makes sense why. He is already performing like a centerpiece, and with contract control through 2028, he would give New York the kind of long-term answer at shortstop that teams spend years trying to find. For a club that always has to weigh present urgency against future planning, Henderson checks a lot of boxes at once.
The catch is the price. A deal with Baltimore would likely require the Yankees to part with multiple top prospects, which is exactly the kind of move that can reshape a farm system in a hurry. The Orioles have shown a willingness to listen on trades, though not when it comes to first baseman Pete Alonso, and that only sharpens the focus on how aggressive New York wants to be. For the Yankees, the real question is whether adding Henderson now is worth the kind of prospect loss that could echo for years. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Suddenly Have A Real Shot At An Infield Upgrade
The Yankees are at least worth watching here, because Oaklands willingness to listen on Jacob Wilson opens a door that did not seem especially wide a short time ago. The Athletics are looking to strengthen their starting pitching, and that is the kind of need New York can potentially help address if it decides to get aggressive with its pitching inventory.
Wilson is not being shopped in a rush, and the As have made clear they do not have to move him. Still, the fact that they would consider offers gives the Yankees a possible path to an infield upgrade if the right package comes together, even if nothing has been finalized and the talks remain in the early stages. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Fans Still Feel Relief Over These Recent Departures
For a fan base that has spent plenty of time second-guessing roster moves, there is at least a little comfort in looking back at a few recent Yankees departures and feeling better about what came next. Jazz Chisholm Jr., Mark Leiter Jr., Devin Williams, Gleyber Torres, Alex Verdugo and Frankie Montas all passed through the Bronx with varying degrees of expectation, but the common thread was frustration. Some never found a consistent rhythm, some arrived with bigger reputations than results, and some simply left behind more questions than lasting memories.
The reaction from the stands has been telling, because these exits were not met with much regret. In a market that remembers both production and disappointment, the Yankees recent turnover has mostly been viewed through the lens of relief, especially when the performances never matched the hype or the role never quite fit. For a team that is always trying to balance urgency with patience, the fan response says plenty about how quickly a player can lose the benefit of the doubt in New York. [Read more 🡒]