The Toronto Blue Jays entered the 2026 season with high expectations-and for good reason. After falling just one win short of a World Series title in 2025, the team and its fans had every reason to believe they’d be right back in the mix this year. The offseason brought a wave of optimism, with the front office making key moves to keep the roster competitive and the championship window wide open.
But as pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training, that optimism has taken a serious hit.
The Blue Jays opened camp with a string of injury updates that could significantly alter the early trajectory of their season. Outfielder Anthony Santander is expected to miss 5-6 months.
Shane Bieber’s spring is delayed, and he won’t begin ramping up for regular-season action until after Opening Day. And Bowden Francis?
He’s out for the year. That’s three major blows before a single pitch has been thrown in 2026.
Then came the gut punch: Chris Bassitt, a familiar and reliable presence on the mound for Toronto the past three seasons, is headed to a division rival. The 37-year-old right-hander inked a one-year, $18.5 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles, with an added $500,000 bonus if he makes 27 starts.
Bassitt’s departure stings more than just sentimentally. He gave Toronto 541.1 innings over three seasons, posting a 3.89 ERA and striking out 520 batters.
He wasn’t just a workhorse-he was a stabilizer. And in the postseason, when the Blue Jays needed him to shift into a bullpen role, he did it without hesitation and delivered.
That kind of versatility and leadership doesn’t grow on trees.
With Bieber sidelined and Francis unavailable, bringing Bassitt back on a short-term deal seemed like a logical move. Instead, he’ll now be wearing orange and black-and potentially pitching against the Blue Jays up to 13 times this season.
Toronto's rotation still has depth, but the margin for error has narrowed. Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, José Berríos, Trey Yesavage, and Cody Ponce are expected to make up the starting five. Eric Lauer is also in the mix, and while he could slot into the rotation, using him as a lefty swingman out of the bullpen might be the smarter play-especially early on.
Meanwhile, Baltimore is making moves of their own. After a rough 2025 campaign that saw them finish at the bottom of the AL East, the Orioles have reloaded. They added serious pop to the lineup with Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward, locked down the ninth inning with Ryan Helsley, and bolstered their rotation with Zach Eflin, Shane Baz-and now Bassitt.
This Orioles team is loaded with young talent that didn’t quite click last season, but the pieces are there. Baz, who finally broke the 100-inning mark last year with 166.1 frames for the Rays, brings upside.
Eflin struggled with a 5.93 ERA over 71.1 innings in 2025, but there’s hope he can rebound. And while Kyle Bradish works his way back from Tommy John surgery, and guys like Trevor Rogers and Dean Kremer try to build on solid bWAR seasons, Bassitt gives Baltimore something they desperately needed: a proven, steady veteran who can take the ball every fifth day and set a tone.
Beyond the numbers, Bassitt also brings leadership. He was a respected voice in Toronto’s clubhouse, and that presence could be a game-changer for an Orioles team trying to shake off the disappointment of last year and recapture the playoff form they showed in 2023 and 2024.
So yes, the Blue Jays are still contenders. But this week has been a reminder that the road back to October is never smooth. Injuries have already tested their depth, and now they’ll have to watch a trusted arm pitch for a division rival with postseason ambitions of their own.
The AL East isn’t easing up-and the Blue Jays’ path to defending their crown just got a little more complicated.