The Blue Jays entered the 2026 season with rotation expectations through the roof. Coming off a trip to the 2025 World Series, the idea was that Toronto would again have one of the strongest pitching staffs in baseball. Reality never quite lined up with that plan.
By the end of the season, three AL East teams had reached the playoffs. Toronto was not one of them. That leaves the front office with a familiar winter task: deciding where the money should go to get the club, which was one win away from winning the World Series in 2025, back into the postseason in 2027.
One of the biggest questions centers on Shane Bieber. If there was one starter Toronto wanted to keep healthy all year, it was the former Cy Young Award winner, because his availability might have changed the course of the season. His time in Toronto has not gone smoothly, though that comes with an important caveat - he has not been able to stay on the field for a full season.
Now Bieber is headed for free agency, and the Blue Jays have to decide whether he is worth bringing back.
Spotrac.com projects Bieber’s market value at one year and $13.1 million. That is down from the $16 million he made in 2026 with Toronto, which means his price tag is now lower than it was before. For the Blue Jays, that kind of deal is well within reach.
The appeal is obvious when Bieber is healthy. Injuries have slowed him over the last two seasons, but he still has the kind of stuff that can make him one of the best starters in Major League Baseball. Not long ago, he was consistently getting to 20 or more starts in a season, and every time he did, he finished with an ERA under 3.9.
He also finished strong. Over his final four starts in August, Bieber logged a 2.59 ERA across 24.1 innings and struck out 22. Those are the numbers of a frontline arm, and they make a pretty strong case for Toronto to bet on him again.
If Bieber returns and pairs with AL Cy Young contender Dylan Cease, the Blue Jays would have the kind of top-end one-two punch that can stand up to the best in the division. With the Tampa Bay Rays now in the World Series, Toronto’s offseason has to be about making real moves, and a one-year deal in the $13 million range would be a low-risk way to do it.
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 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 🡒]
Blue Jays Face One Offseason Pressure Point After Major Step Back
After getting so close to the World Series in 2025, the Blue Jays spent the next season trying to push their roster forward, only to watch the year end at 79-83. Toronto made several additions in response to that near miss, but the results left one clear offseason priority sitting at the top of the list: the starting rotation. General manager Ross Atkins now has a familiar winter task ahead of him, and the front office will need to decide how aggressively it wants to chase help on the open market.
The free-agent pitching class gives Toronto some intriguing options, with names like Tarik Skubal, Sonny Gray, Michael King and Shota Imanaga all in the conversation as possible fits. The list also includes a pitcher Blue Jays fans know well, though his 2026 season was not the kind that usually strengthens a reunion case. For a club that spent the previous winter trying to build on momentum, the next move on the mound may say as much about its ambitions as anything else this offseason. [Read more 🡒]