The Toronto Blue Jays have work to do after a season that fell well short of expectations.
A year after coming within one win of a World Series title in 2025, Ross Atkins spent the offseason aggressively reshaping the roster. He added Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, Tyler Rogers, and Kazuma Okamoto, while also making a major run at Kyle Tucker before Tucker chose the LA Dodgers.
On paper, the moves were supposed to push the Blue Jays forward. Instead, they ended with a disappointing 79-83 record. Now the offseason has turned back into a correction job, and the starting rotation is one of the first places Atkins will likely look.
Toronto already has Cease, Ponce, Jose Soriano, Trey Yesavage, and Spencer Miles under contract. But this past season made the same point over and over: rotation depth matters, especially when injuries pile up. With that in mind, here are six starters set to reach free agency who could make sense for the Blue Jays.
Tarik Skubal sits at the top of the board, and for good reason. Toronto already has Cease, so it doesn’t need another ace in the strictest sense, but Skubal would be a huge swing.
The 29-year-old is viewed as one of the best pitchers in baseball and should draw plenty of interest. The Blue Jays have shown they’re willing to spend, and if they could land him, he would instantly push them back into World Series contender territory.
The obstacle is clear: they’d have to beat out other aggressive bidders, including the LA Dodgers, who want to re-sign the two-time Cy Young Award winner.
Sonny Gray is another name that jumps off the page. The 36-year-old has said he plans to pitch again in 2027, and after the World Series he’s expected to opt out of his deal with the Boston Red Sox.
Age hasn’t slowed him much. In 169 innings this past season, Gray delivered a 2.72 ERA and an 18-5 record, easily one of the strongest seasons of his career.
That kind of production would play anywhere, including Toronto.
Michael King is also expected to test the market after planning to opt out of his contract with the San Diego Padres. At 31, he doesn’t have the same star power as Skubal or Gray, but he’s still among the better starters available.
King’s rise accelerated after he joined the Padres ahead of the 2024 season, when he finished seventh in Cy Young voting. This year, he backed it up with a 3.21 ERA over 185 innings.
Shota Imanaga offers a different kind of fit. He hasn’t matched the level he showed in his 2024 rookie season, but that doesn’t make him a weak option.
The left-hander from Japan won’t create the same frenzy as the biggest names on the market, yet he’d still give a team like Toronto a dependable middle-of-the-rotation arm. He logged a 3.77 ERA in 174.1 innings for the Chicago Cubs this past season, a line that reflects steady, if unspectacular, work.
If the Blue Jays want a more measured move, he fits that lane.
A reunion with Kevin Gausman would be worth watching too. The 36-year-old had a rough 2026 with both the Blue Jays and Cubs, but his track record points to a possible rebound.
Because of his age and the season he just had, he’s not expected to get a multi-year deal, which could make him attractive to Toronto. Gausman has also been very open about how much he enjoyed his time with the Blue Jays, so the door doesn’t look closed.
Robbie Ray rounds out the list, and he’s another reunion candidate. The 35-year-old hasn’t come close to repeating his 2021 Cy Young season with Toronto, but he has remained a dependable starter.
This past year, he put up a 3.59 ERA across 165.2 innings between the San Francisco Giants and the Padres. Like Gausman, he doesn’t appear headed for a long-term contract, which could put him on Toronto’s radar as a cheaper short-term option.
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 🡒]