The Toronto Blue Jays already made a major move for their rotation when they landed José Soriano from the Los Angeles Angels ahead of the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline. Even after that addition, though, the work is not done.
Toronto’s offseason picture still has some obvious gaps. The club traded Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs, and Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer are both pending free agents. That leaves the Blue Jays with real rotation questions to sort through once free agency opens.
One name now tied to Toronto is Baltimore Orioles left-hander Trevor Rogers. In a recent Bleacher Report piece, Kerry Miller projected that the Blue Jays would sign Rogers to a four-year, $114 million deal.
"And if your last name was Rogers, wouldn't you want to make home starts at the Rogers Centre? Toronto does have Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage and José Soriano as staples for next year's rotation, but it does have holes to fill. Prediction: 4 years, $114M (fourth year is a $30M club option) with Toronto Blue Jays," Miller wrote.
It is an eye-catching fit on paper. Rogers would give Toronto another arm with upside, and the storyline of the Blue Jays pulling him from a division rival would add another layer to the move. The lefty has shown both sides of what he can be in 2026, going 7-8 with a 4.21 ERA in 22 appearances for Baltimore.
At the same time, the ceiling is easy to see. Just last season, Rogers turned in a 9-3 record, a 1.81 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 18 games. That kind of production explains why Toronto could view him as a worthwhile target if he reaches the market this winter.
If the Blue Jays do chase him, Rogers would seem to slot best in the middle of the rotation. But there is a clear downside, too: the 6-foot-5 lefty has dealt with injury issues for much of his career, which would make any long-term commitment a bit of a gamble.
Rogers is far from the only starter Toronto could have on its radar. Kerry Miller also pointed to Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Tarik Skubal as the dream target, though the competition for the two-time Cy Young Award winner would be fierce.
Other possible free-agent starters this winter include Michael King, Casey Mize, Freddy Peralta, Sonny Gray, Clay Holmes, Shota Imanaga and Michael Soroka. In other words, the Blue Jays should have no shortage of rotation options to weigh once the offseason gets going.
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