The Blue Jays can’t let the rotation issue slide this winter.
Toronto already made a big swing last offseason, and general manager Ross Atkins is once again staring at a roster that needs work if it’s going to get back into the postseason mix next year. Offense will be part of the conversation, sure, but the starting staff has to stay front and center.
If the season started today, the Blue Jays could line up Dylan Cease, Jose Soriano, Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce, and maybe Spencer Miles in the rotation. That group has some real shape to it, but it’s not a finished product. Toronto knows better than most that pitching depth gets tested fast once injuries start piling up.
The Blue Jays leaned on seven or eight starters last season and still had to look outside the organization for help. That’s why this offseason matters so much for Atkins, who has several important pitching decisions to make.
Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, Jameson Taillon, and possibly Jose Berrios are all heading toward free agency. Bieber is the one who could return, but even that comes with obvious questions. He was limited to 11 starts last season because of injuries.
When he did pitch, the results weren’t what Toronto was hoping for. Bieber went 5-2 with a 4.37 ERA, and his 18.2 percent strikeout rate, per Baseball Savant, was way down from where it had been a couple of seasons ago. Health has been the real problem in his career, and while he’s the most interesting of the internal free-agent options, he can’t be the only answer.
That’s why the Blue Jays need to stay aggressive in the market. They already landed Cease on a massive seven-year deal last offseason, and bringing in another arm of that level would make sense. Tarik Skubal is expected to draw plenty of attention, but the board doesn’t end there.
Brandon Woodruff and Shota Imanaga are available as unrestricted free agents. Toronto could also circle back to Robbie Ray or Kevin Gausman. Any of those pitchers would give the Blue Jays a meaningful boost.
Cease gives Toronto a true ace, and that changes the equation. The Jays don’t need to chase the top name just to say they did.
What they need are reliable starters who can fill out the group and hold up over the grind. That’s the kind of depth that actually supports a playoff push.
The lineup still needs help, and the offense was one of the league’s worst. Atkins will almost certainly address that too.
But the Blue Jays can’t treat starting pitching like a secondary item simply because Cease is already in place. Last season’s injury issues made the case plain: this staff needs more.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Face One Crucial Middle Infield Decision This Winter
The Blue Jays are heading into the winter with one clear area to sort out, and it sits right in the middle of the diamond. Toronto is looking at both trade and free-agent routes to upgrade the infield, weighing players who could fit different versions of the roster and different price tags. The list includes a handful of very different names, from a power-speed threat to a contact-heavy hitter and a versatile Cubs infielder, which says plenty about how many ways the club could approach the problem.
CJ Abrams would be the splashiest swing, but also the most expensive one, while Luis Arrez looks like the sort of steadier, more attainable option that can still change the shape of a lineup. Matt Shaw brings versatility, though not much offense, so the Blue Jays have to decide how much they value range, bat-to-ball skill and overall upside in a middle infield that needs help without forcing the rest of the roster out of balance. For now, the front office is still in evaluation mode, and the real answer may come down to how much Toronto is willing to pay to make the fit work. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Suddenly Have A Real Shane Bieber Decision This Winter
The Blue Jays spent the 2026 season expecting their rotation to carry them, only to watch the year end without a playoff berth. Now one of the biggest questions on the winter board is whether Shane Bieber should be part of the answer. The former Cy Young winner is headed for free agency after a season defined as much by injury questions as by his talent, but Toronto also saw enough late to keep the conversation alive.
Biebers final stretch gave the Blue Jays a reminder of why he remains such a compelling bet if the price is right. For a club that wants more certainty on the mound next season, the decision is less about pedigree than whether the upside still outweighs the risk. Toronto has work to do across the roster, but what it does with Bieber could end up shaping the tone of the entire offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays May Have Found A Bullpen Target Fans Will Debate
The Blue Jays bullpen plans are already getting a close look as the front office weighs how to cover some uncertain rotation pieces and shore up a relief group that has been tested, especially from the left side. One name that fits the discussion is a left-handed option with enough big-league mileage to matter, even if the results have come in waves. Toronto has spent plenty of time looking at how clubs like the Rays and Brewers build out specialized bullpen jobs, and that kind of template is clearly part of the thinking here.
For a team trying to get more dependable late-inning structure, the appeal goes beyond simple handedness. There is value in a reliever who can handle traffic, keep the ball on the ground and absorb meaningful innings, even if fans may split on whether that profile is the right fit. The Blue Jays are still sorting through the bigger picture, but the debate around this bullpen target says plenty about where they want the unit to go next. [Read more 🡒]