The Toronto Blue Jays are headed into an offseason they didn’t expect to face this soon.
After a memorable 2025 season, Toronto went into the year with a roster boosted by major additions such as Dylan Cease and Kazuma Okamoto. But injuries and an inconsistent offense dragged the club down, and the Blue Jays were eliminated from playoff contention in the final week of the regular season.
Now comes the hard part. Toronto has major roster decisions ahead, and the pitching staff sits near the center of them. Six pitchers are set to become unrestricted free agents, and while Springer is the biggest domino, it looks increasingly unlikely that the veteran designated hitter will return to the Blue Jays.
Max Scherzer’s future is still undecided. He took the mound in the season finale on short rest and shut down the Cincinnati Reds, but that outing had the feel of a possible goodbye.
Injuries were a common thread for five of those six pitchers, and general manager Ross Atkins may not want to relive last season’s injury issues while trying to rebuild the staff.
Toronto also needs to add starting pitching. Dylan Cease and Jose Soriano are slated to anchor the rotation, but after Trey Yesavage the reliable options get thin quickly. John Schneider was forced into too many bullpen games last season, and that’s not a recipe the Blue Jays want to repeat.
Cody Ponce is expected to be ready when the season opens as he works back from a right knee ACL sprain. The 32-year-old made one start last year, and the hope is that he can help in 2027. Even so, Atkins should be looking to bring in one or two starters this winter.
The Blue Jays also need help in the outfield. Brett Bateman’s rise was a big positive, and he should break camp on the Opening Day roster next season.
Nathan Lukes gave them a solid year, but Toronto still needs more consistency out there. Expect Atkins to make a move for an outfielder this offseason.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Just Opened A Real Winter Debate At Second Base
Ross Atkins left little doubt that Ernie Clement has value to the Blue Jays, but he also made clear that value alone will not lock down a job two years from now. The Toronto general manager praised Clement as a versatile, impactful player, yet framed the second-base picture as something the club will keep evaluating as it looks for more dependable offense and a better overall fit around the roster.
That leaves the Blue Jays with a real winter conversation on their hands, even if the calendar has not quite gotten there yet. Second base and the outfield are both areas the front office wants to complement, and Atkins pointed to free agents and internal candidates as possible ways to do it, which suggests Clement will have to keep earning trust if he wants to remain the easy answer at the position. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Gausman Just Reopened A Blue Jays Reunion Question
Kevin Gausmans brief run with the Cubs ended the way no pitcher wants, with a loss in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card series and Chicago out of the postseason. The former Blue Jays right-hander, acquired at the trade deadline and now in the final year of his contract, left the night sounding reflective enough to make the next step feel like more than just a formality.
For Toronto, it is enough to reopen a familiar question about whether Gausman could wind up back where he started the year. Nothing has been decided yet, but his emotional postgame interview only added fuel to the idea that his situation may not be settled, and the Blue Jays will be watching closely as the offseason starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Varsho Trade Looks Wilder After New Injury Twist
Daulton Varshos latest setback adds another layer to what has already become a complicated trade file for Toronto. The outfielder underwent left arthroscopic wrist surgery after landing on the injured list with inflammation, a development that traces back to cysts that had been limiting his wrist mobility for months, including while he was still with the Blue Jays. For a player whose value has always been tied to defense, athleticism and left-handed thump, the news only underscores how much the wrist issue has been hanging over his season.
On Torontos side of the deal, pitcher Spencer Arrighetti has not delivered immediate returns since the deadline, but the organization still views him as part of its long-term picture. That leaves this trade looking less like a clean exchange and more like one of those front-office decisions that keeps changing shape as new injury information comes out. Varshos operation does not resolve the bigger question around what Toronto really got, only makes the original move look even more layered. [Read more 🡒]