The Toronto Blue Jays spent the offseason acting like a franchise allergic to standing still. After signing Dylan Cease to a massive seven-year deal and bringing KBO MVP Cody Ponce back to MLB on a three-year contract, the Jays suddenly have something you almost never hear in this sport anymore: too many starting pitchers. And now, according to multiple reports from The Athletic and The Score, Toronto is listening to offers on José Berríos—their veteran workhorse who has been as durable as anyone in baseball since 2018.
It’s a bold move. It might even be a necessary move. But is it actually a good move?
A Rotation Surplus… but Not Really
On paper, the Blue Jays have a problem every MLB team wishes it had. Cease, Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, and Ponce give Toronto five legitimate rotation options before even mentioning Berríos, Eric Lauer, Yariel Rodríguez, Bowden Francis, or a healthy Ricky Tiedemann.
That is depth bordering on absurd. But every front office knows the truth: there’s no such thing as too many arms.
Pitchers break, pitchers regress, and pitchers surprise you in either direction. And for a team pursuing Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, and a potential all-in window, having six or seven credible starters is not a luxury—it’s insurance.
Yet Toronto’s willingness to move Berríos isn’t really about depth. It’s about performance, money, timing, and future flexibility.
Berríos, now 31, struggled through an inconsistent 2025 season that ended with right elbow inflammation—the first IL stint of his career. His velocity dipped, his strikeout rate fell below 20% again, and his barrel rate jumped to a career high. Toronto even sent him to the bullpen before shutting him down.
He’s owed $67 million over the next three years, carries an opt-out after 2026, and will gain full 10-and-5 veto rights next July. That is a complicated contract for a declining pitcher with a durability résumé but trending-down underlying data.
So the Jays are asking the most logical question: Is now the last, best chance to move him before his contract becomes immovable?
What Could Toronto Get Back?
Teams looking for innings—and there are always plenty—will see value in Berríos. Since 2018, no pitcher has thrown more innings or made more starts. For a club trying to stabilize a young rotation or bridge into a competitive cycle, he makes sense.
But the return likely won’t be sexy.
Because of his contract structure, the Jays may need to eat salary, take back an unwanted contract, or settle for a prospect package that reflects the risk. Think mid-level pieces, not blue-chippers.
The likeliest types of suitors:
- A fringe contender that needs a dependable No. 3 or No. 4 starter
- A big-market team willing to gamble on a bounce-back
- A rebuilding team trying to hit a floor of competence
Toronto won’t get a star. But what they could get is financial freedom, especially if they want Tucker or Bichette long-term.
So… Is Trading Berríos Smart?
It’s smart if the Jays believe 2025 was the beginning of a decline, not a blip. It’s smart if they want to redirect money into a star position player. And it’s smart if they worry he’ll block a trade entirely once he earns 10-and-5 rights.
It’s risky if Cease struggles, if Bieber’s injuries return, or if Yesavage experiences sophomore regression. Suddenly that “surplus” turns fragile.
Still, this is what aggressive front offices do: they sell early, not late. Berríos has value now. Next July, he might not.
Toronto is not afraid to reshape its identity in real time. And moving José Berríos would be just the next chapter in a winter defined by boldness.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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