The Toronto Blue Jays are taking a swing at Adrian Moreta.
Toronto has done the majority of their heavy lifting this MLB offseason. On their starting rotation, they have added Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce. Combined with the expectation of Trey Yesavage playing the full season, they possess a formidable rotation.
The Blue Jays have been more creative with their bullpen additions. Tyler Rogers was the big free agent signing in this department, while Chase Lee was acquired via trade, and Spencer Miles was purchased through the Rule 5 Draft.
While the Blue Jays could still make a significant trade, they could also add yet another free agent starting pitcher. In the midst of this, Moreta is a pitching prospect who has an interesting profile.
Toronto Blue Jays Sign Pitcher Adrian Moreta
According to the Blue Jays transaction log, they signed Moreta on January 15th, 2026. The right-handed pitcher has a solid build of 6-foot, 222 lbs.
Francys Romero reports that the deal Moreta signed will earn him a $155,000 bonus.
96 MPH Fastball Highlights Moreta’s Pitching Mix
While there aren’t any publically available statistics on Moreta’s performance thus far, there is information on his pitches.
According to one source, Moreta sports a four-pitch mix. He throws a slider, sinker, changeup, and a 96-MPH fastball. His self-proclaimed best pitch is his slider.
For a 17-year-old to already be throwing 96 MPH is quite something. This bodes well for the Blue Jays in the future.
Blue Jays Who Can Throw Like Moreta
Almost every pitching prospect wants to be a starter, with that assumption, let’s compare Moreta’s velocity to the starting rotation of the Blue Jays.
Right now, the Blue Jays rotation will likely be Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Jose Berrios, Yesavage, Cease, and Ponce.
Looking at the average fastball velocity of these six starters gives us some interesting numbers. According to Savant, Yesavage averaged 94.7 MPH, Gausman 94.5 MPH, Cease 97.1 MPH, Bieber 92.6 MPH, Ponce 93.2 MPH (2021), and Berrios averaged 93 MPH.
Newcomer Cease is the only current Blue Jays starter to hit an average fastball velocity faster than Moreta’s four-seamer. This bodes well for Toronto in terms of projecting Moreta. However, it also illustrates that starting pitchers don’t need to be the hardest throwers to have a successful MLB career.
Is Jarren Durran the Answer?
The majority of the moves the Blue Jays have made this winter have been free agents. However, they could still pursue a trade to improve their roster.
This offseason, they have been linked to Steven Kwan, Ketel Marte, Brendan Donovan, and CJ Abrams via trade. Yet, there is another player in the rumor mill who could find themselves on a new team following the conclusion of Spring Training.
Accordin to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran could be on the move before opening day.
“It’s not that they want to trade Duran,” Bowden wrote on January 27th, 2026. “But if the return was either an infielder or starting pitcher who better fits with their current roster, they’d be open to it. They haven’t been close on a deal involving Duran yet, but that could change during spring training.”
Who Can the Blue Jays Trade?
Considering the surplus of starting pitchers that the Blue Jays have, this seems like the obvious move. Berrios has been subject to trade chatter this offseason and would be the most likely candidate to move on to a new organization.
Bieber hasn’t been in any rumors, but he could be a less expensive alternative for teams. Considering how recently they acquired Cease and Ponce, and given where Gausman and Yesavage stand with the organization, those four are very unlikely to be traded away.
Of course, Ricky Tiedemann is close to becoming an everyday MLB starting pitcher. An acquiring team might prefer an arm like Tiedemann, given his age and potential.
It’s very unlikely that they would trade an infielder for Duran. While weirder things have happened, unless the Blue Jays are acquiring a player who can play an infield position, they won’t be giving one up in a trade.
Still in on Framber Valdez
Southpaw starter Framer Valdez is still on the market. According to MLBTradeRumors, the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Red Sox, and Blue Jays are all linked to Valdez.
The interest in Valdez is slightly puzzling. The Blue Jays already have six starting pitchers. Because of this surplus, perhaps that is why they are interested in Valdez? If they were to sign him, that gives them another arm with a higher floor than Yesavage, and gives them the option to let him percolate for another season.
But, should fans be concerned about the health of Bieber? If they are interested in another arm, does that mean that Bieber won’t be ready for opening day? With Spring Training approaching soon, we may get the answer to this question sooner than later.
Blue Jays fans won’t have to wait long to see how all of this pans out.
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