3 bounce back candidates the Blue Jays could target on one-year deals to round out rotation
Photo credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images
Nov 12, 2026, 08:00 ESTUpdated: Nov 11, 2026, 23:24 EST
The Toronto Blue Jays’ rotation was ravaged by injuries in 2026, showcasing that health is never a given in the game of baseball.
While Dylan Cease, José Soriano, and Trey Yesavage should make for a strong top half of Toronto’s rotation in 2027, the rest of the options to fill out the final two spots come with a lot of question marks.
Cody Ponce and Spencer Miles currently represent the most likely options to fill the fourth and fifth spots, with Bowden Francis, Jake Bloss, and José Berríos all being options at different points in the 2027 season.
With prospects Nolan Perry and Johnny King yet to reach Triple-A, and both Gage Stanifer and Daniel Guerra being moved to the bullpen last year, it feels likely the Blue Jays will make a few additions through free agency to supplement the group.
While Tarik Skubal, Michael King, and Freddy Peralta represent the top of this year’s starting pitching free agent class, the Blue Jays might be better served to use those dollars to help improve the offence that finished with both the fewest runs and home runs in MLB last year.
The Blue Jays could dip into a different tier of free agents or even bet on pitchers, who will likely have to settle for one-year contracts with the intention of bouncing back from the form they displayed in 2026.
Here are three pitchers including Zac Gallen, Brady Singer, and Zach Eflin, who could fit the bill as players looking for better fortunes on one-year deals.
Zac Gallen
A free agent last winter, Gallen returned to Arizona on a one-year, $22.025 million contract on February 15. Across 22 games (20 starts), Gallen went 3-9 with a 6.07 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP. The right-hander struck out 64 batters across 105.1 innings and was hit at a .298 clip.
On July 12, Gallen was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation, an ailment that cost him just under two months. In his return, Gallen pitched in three games, turning in a 2.45 ERA and holding his opponents to an average of .214 across 7.1 innings pitched.
While the past two seasons have been difficult for the 31-year-old, Gallen’s previous three campaigns saw him record ERAs of 3.65 or better, so this is an arm that has flashed success in the past.
Due to his struggles and injuries this past season, a one-year deal is likely what Gallen will have to settle for, and the addition would allow the Blue Jays to give Perry and King full seasons in Triple-A.
Brady Singer
Singer has spent the past two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds after being acquired from the Kansas City Royals on November 22, 2024, in exchange for Jonathan India and Joey Wiemer.
Across 31 starts in 2026, Singer went 6-15 with a 5.85 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP. Singer struck out 126 batters over 157 innings and was hit at a .295 clip. Singer entered September with a 4.83 ERA, more in line with his career mark of 4.48, but a disastrous final month of the regular season, in which he allowed 26 earned runs across 15.1 innings, left a dent in his overall numbers.
Singer could instantly slot in as the Blue Jays’ fifth starter and would bring much-needed reliability to a group that was decimated by injuries in 2026. Singer has pitched in at least 24 games in each of his six full MLB seasons and hasn’t been on the IL since the 2023 campaign.
Zach Eflin
Eflin, unlike both Gallen and Singer, didn’t struggle on the field in 2026, but rather dealt with right elbow discomfort that cost him the majority of the season.
The right-hander made his lone start of the season on March 31 against the Texas Rangers and turned in a pitching line of 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. A day later, the Baltimore Orioles placed Eflin on the 15-day IL, and he was never able to return.
The Orioles and Eflin agreed to a one-year, $10-million contract on December 28, 2025, with a $25-million mutual option for 2027. Following his injury plagued season, the Orioles declined the option, making Eflin a free agent for the second straight offseason.
Eflin holds a lifetime ERA of 4.28, and coming off the 2026 season, the 32-year-old is almost certain to need to take a one-year deal. With an opening at the back of the rotation, the Blue Jays could look to keep Eflin in the American League East for one more season.
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