Spencer Arrighetti’s brief run with the Blue Jays hardly left much room for optimism, and the numbers make that plain. Over two starts, the right-hander logged just 8 ⅔ innings, which was enough to push him all the way down to 12th out of 13 Toronto starters when the list was trimmed to pitchers with at least five innings in 2026. CJ Van Eyk was the only starter below him, with five innings in one outing.
The results were rough across the board. Arrighetti finished with a 7.27 K/9, 5.19 BB/9, 3.12 HR/9 and a 9.35 ERA. It’s a tiny sample, sure, but it still matches the shape of a season defined by inconsistency and a bad ending in Toronto.
That’s why his place in the club’s future is suddenly in doubt. When you look at the full picture - the injuries, the uneven performance and the struggle to get back to his best form - his role in the Blue Jays’ rotation feels very much up in the air.
Arrighetti has never been a pitcher built around overpowering stuff. His breaking pitches have been the backbone of his game, especially the curveball, which carried a +1 Run Value, and the changeup, which posted a +2 Run Value.
But the rest of the arsenal, spread across five other pitch types, didn’t hold up. After ranking in the 79th percentile in K% in 2024, he dropped to the 42nd percentile in 2026.
His Barrel% also slid hard, falling from the 50th percentile to the 19th.
The fastball was a particular problem. Command and velocity issues kept putting him in trouble, and 15 of his 18 home runs came on that pitch. Even that was a step back from 2024, when he allowed 17 of 21 home runs on the fastball, a number that had already come down in 2025.
There was a little more stability once he was moved to the bullpen, where he allowed a .196/.311/.431 line to the 62 batters he faced. But that was not the role Toronto had envisioned for him.
His season was split by the All-Star break, and the second half was especially ugly. Before the break, Arrighetti put up a 4.50 ERA across 82 innings with a 5.04 FIP. Afterward, he finished at 6.28 ERA and 6.59 FIP, while his K-BB% dropped from 10.4% to 3.7%.
If Toronto was hoping to fix a problem that looked manageable, the second-half results say otherwise. And that leaves Arrighetti’s outlook for 2027 as uncertain as ever.
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
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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 🡒]