Such pitchers as Helsley, Raisel Iglesias, Phil Maton, Edwin DiazAnd Pete Fairbanks have been linked to the Jays so far, and the first three of those names are already off the board. Considering that Ross Atkins’ front office is known for its free agent explorations, it’s probably safe to guess that the Jays have made calls on most or all of the top relievers on the market, ranging from cheaters to proven closers like Diaz. Atkins said after the season that the team was open to the possibility of moving Jeff Hoffman in a set-up role, opening the door for Toronto to look for another top saves candidate.
Of course, the Jays’ biggest winter moves so far have come in the rotation, not the bullpen. Shane Bieber made the first move himself when he decided not to opt out of the final year of his contract, and then the Jays made the most expensive free agent signing in franchise history by inking Dylan stops to a seven-year, $210 million contract. Within less than a month of the end of the World Series, the Blue Jays rotation suddenly went from a question mark to all but solved.
The expected starting five looks like Cease, Bieber, Kevin Gausman, Trey YesavageAnd Jose Berriosof Eric Lauer on hand as a swingman. Adam Macko, Ricky Tiedemann And Bowden Francis are further depth options. It’s a deeper group with a higher ceiling than the starting pitching mix that took the Jays to the World Series, although it’s possible another starter could be added.
To make room in the rotation for a higher caliber arm, the Jays could consider trading Berrios. Bannon (in a piece for the Athletics) And Gregor Chisholm of the Toronto Star each of them advanced the concept, as Berrios ultimately was the odd man out, even before a bout of elbow inflammation sidelined him for the Blue Jays’ entire playoff run. The Jays planned to transition Berrios to bullpen work prior to the postseason, and Berrios made one relief appearance before landing on the injured list.
Trading Berrios would be tricky for a few reasons: his no-trade clause with eight teams, the three years and $66 million remaining on his contract, and the opt-out clause Berrios has in place after the 2026 season. Then there’s the fact that Berrios has been pretty unspectacular in 2025, with a 4.17 ERA and a string of below-average results. Statistics numbers over 166 innings. Any Berrios candidate would of course count on a rebound, but might be primarily interested in the veteran righty as a sustainable source of innings.
Berrios’ ability to eat up innings also makes him valuable to the Jays, given how their pitchers added more mileage during an extended postseason run. Moving Berrios would also free up some payroll space for Toronto, albeit in a limited way. It’s quite unlikely the Jays will find a team willing to absorb Berrios’ entire $66 million salary, and spending capacity may not be much of a concern for a Blue Jays club that has already shown a willingness to stretch its payroll even further in search of a championship.
On other topics from Chisholm’s mailbag piece, he believes the Blue Jays might have already completed extensions for Atkins, team president Mark Shapiro and manager John Schneider had the club not still been playing on Nov. 1. Either way, it seems like it’s only a matter of time before the trio is all officially retained. Shapiro’s contract is technically already up, and Atkins and Schneider’s deals expire after the 2026 season (the Jays already exercised their club option on Schneider for 2026).
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