The Blue Jays have a Jose Berrios problem that stretches well beyond next season. Toronto is tied to two more years and $48 million on the veteran right-hander’s deal, but Tommy John surgery has pushed his timeline back far enough that 2027 could begin without any real expectation of help.
Berrios underwent surgery on May 20, and the recovery window is 12 to 18 months. That puts his potential return somewhere late in the 2027 season, with no real certainty he’ll be ready before the year is over. For a club that already took a hard fall in 2026 after reaching the World Series in 2025, that’s a tough reality to swallow.
The numbers are simple. Toronto is on the hook for $24 million in each of the next two seasons, whether Berrios is back on the mound or still working his way through rehab. And the most likely outcome is that he stays put rather than exercising the opt-out in his contract after 2026, because walking away from that $48 million guarantee doesn’t make much sense given the uncertainty around his health and role.
That contract, signed when Berrios joined Toronto in 2021, was built on dependability. He had been a workhorse, regularly topping 30 starts a year and even taking the ball on Opening Day for the Blue Jays three times. Now the organization is staring at the possibility that one of its most trusted starters won’t contribute for most of, if not all of, the final stretch of his deal.
Toronto can’t afford to treat his return as part of the plan. The rotation has to be built without him in mind, even if there’s still hope he eventually gets back and helps. If he does return, he’ll also need time to rebuild toward his old workload.
The good news for the Blue Jays is that they are not starting from scratch. Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage and Jose Soriano are in place to lead the rotation into 2027. Cody Ponce is expected back from knee surgery, and Spencer Arrighetti, along with other pitchers, will be in the mix for spots.
But Toronto’s recent experience has already delivered a warning. The team thought it had enough pitching depth heading into 2026, then injuries piled up and the rotation was stripped down before the organization had to lean on unexpected arms. That lesson matters even more now, with Berrios unavailable and the club also dealing with Shane Bieber and Max Scherzer, both of whom are free agents, while Scherzer’s plan remains unclear.
Berrios has given Toronto plenty of value over the years, and his long-term extension made sense when it was signed. The problem is that the calendar has turned on him. What once looked like a smart investment now leaves the Blue Jays carrying an expensive contract for a pitcher who likely won’t be ready to matter until 2028, the final year of the deal.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Fans Can Experience Rogers Centre In A Way Never Offered
Rogers Centre is getting a winter makeover in January, when the home of the Blue Jays will be turned into a temporary golf driving range. The unusual setup will give fans a chance to see the ballpark from a different angle, with golfers teeing off from the 500-level and tickets available for those who want to take part in the experience.
The event is part of Upper Deck Golf, which is bringing its concept north of the border for the first time. For Blue Jays fans, it is a rare off-season way to step inside the stadium and take swings in a setting usually reserved for baseball, with the full details of the format set for later this winter. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Fans Will Recognize How Brewers Just Got To Blake Snell
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For Blue Jays fans, the striking part was not just the result but the way Milwaukee attacked Snell early and kept forcing him into uncomfortable moments. The Dodgers have now dropped three straight in the NLCS, and Snells recent playoff struggles were back in focus as the Brewers kept adding to the damage. It was the kind of October reminder Toronto followers know well: once a lineup gets a read on Snell, the first mistake can snowball fast. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Still Need Vladimir Guerrero Jr. To Answer One Huge Question
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.s 2026 season ended with more questions than answers for the Blue Jays, who were left trying to pick through the wreckage of the clubs worst offensive showing of the year. Guerrero, usually the middle-order bat Toronto can build around, never found his rhythm at the plate and looked far too often like a hitter searching for timing and confidence rather than dictating at-bats.
Now the focus shifts to what comes next, and whether a postseason procedure can help clear up some of what bothered him throughout the year. Toronto has watched other clubs keep playing deep into October with stars carrying the load, while the Blue Jays are left hoping Guerrero can rediscover the force that makes their lineup work in the first place. The next answer matters because if he is not right, the lineup still has a long way to go. [Read more 🡒]