<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s safe to say that the Toronto Blue Jays need to add a starter this off-season.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Four of the five spots in the rotation are locked down, with Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt, and Bowden Francis occupying those spots. While Yariel Rodríguez can spot-start for the Jays, it’s been reported that they would like to sign a starter to push him to the bullpen.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Of course, the Jays were rumoured to be interested in the top pitching free agent, Corbin Burnes. <a href="https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/1872891913520726260">Reportedly, the Jays along with the San Francisco Giants, offered him more money</a> than the Arizona Diamondbacks, the the team he ended up signing with.</span></p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That begs the question, who should the Jays set their sights on to fill the final spot in the rotation?</span></p>
<h2><b>Jack Flaherty</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jack Flaherty is arguably the best starter remaining on the market. Between the Detroit Tigers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, the 29-year-old posted a 3.17 ERA and a 3.48 FIP in 162 innings pitched, helping the Dodgers win their fourth World Series.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For his career, he has a 3.63 ERA and a 3.91 FIP in 829.2 innings pitched, with a 27.4 K% and an 8.5 BB%, pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals, the Baltimore Orioles, the Tigers, and the Dodgers.</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jack Flaherty, Wicked Knuckle Curves. 🤢 <a href="https://t.co/MSTiZjmMyv">pic.twitter.com/MSTiZjmMyv</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) <a href="https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1849985329257763318?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Next season, he’s projected to have a 3.84 ERA and a 3.84 FIP in 170 innings pitched according to Fangraphs’ Steamer projection. Moreover, he’s projected to have a 25.2 K% and a 7.6 BB%, with the K% being well below the 29.9 K% he had in 2024.</span></p>
<h2><b>Nick Pivetta</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Boston Red Sox offered Nick Pivetta a qualifying offer, which he promptly declined. Well, because of that, the Canadian right-handed starters market has been slow to develop, <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1869176479315370104">with the Blue Jays apparently having interest in him</a>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Last season, the 31-year-old had a 4.14 ERA and a 4.07 FIP in 145.2 innings pitched, with a 28.9 K% and a 6.1 BB%. It was a good season, but was it worth giving him a qualifying offer? Probably not.</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nick Pivetta, Knee Buckling 84mph Slider. 🦵 <a href="https://t.co/KEFUdSCxBM">pic.twitter.com/KEFUdSCxBM</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) <a href="https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1837903670492438833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For his career, he has a 4.76 ERA and a 4.36 FIP in 1029.1 innings pitched with a 26 K% and a 6.1 BB%. Steamer predicts he’ll post a 3.93 ERA and a 3.86 FIP in 162 innings pitched, with a 27 K% and a 7.6 BB%.</span></p>
<h2><b>José Quintana</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If the Jays want to add a back-end for the rotation starter who could eat innings, José Quintana could be a good option for them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 35-year-old posted a 3.75 ERA and a 4.56 FIP in 170.1 innings pitched with the New York Mets in 2024, with an 18.8 K% and an 8.8 BB%. For his career, Quintana has a 3.74 ERA and a 3.70 FIP in 1969.2 innings pitched, playing for the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals.</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="tl" dir="ltr">José Quintana&#39;s 2Ks in the 5th.</p>
<p>6Ks thru 5. <a href="https://t.co/7wQ7JYO0cr">pic.twitter.com/7wQ7JYO0cr</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) <a href="https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1844146451183698368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quintana’s projections see him posting a 4.34 ERA and a 4.41 FIP in 171 innings pitched, with an 18.4 K% and an 8.4 BB%. Of the four locks in the Blue Jays rotation, that would be the worst ERA and the second-worst FIP.</span></p>
<h2><b>Andrew Heaney</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One thing that Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt, and Bowden Francis have in common is that they’re a right-handed pitcher. To add some balance to the rotation, the Jays could look to add a left-handed pitcher such as Andrew Heaney.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Last season with the Texas Rangers, the 33-year-old had a 4.28 ERA and a 4.04 FIP in 160 innings pitched, with a 22.9 K% and a 5.9 BB%. For his career, Heaney has a 4.45 ERA and a 4.37 FIP in 1014.1 innings pitched, with a 24.7 K% and a 6.9 BB%.</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Andrew Heaney&#39;s 4 Consecutive Ks. <a href="https://t.co/kvm5gaTJ78">pic.twitter.com/kvm5gaTJ78</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) <a href="https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1831139445627564399?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As for his projection, Steamer predicts he’ll have a 4.25 ERA and a 4.31 FIP in 158 innings pitched, with a 22.3 K% and a 7.3 BB%. He certainly wouldn’t be the worst option for the Blue Jays to add this off-season.</span></p>
<hr />
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">As always, you can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.</span></i></p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s safe to say that the Toronto Blue Jays need to add a starter this off-season.</span>



<span style="font-weight: 400;">Four of the five spots in the rotation are locked down, with Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt, and Bowden Francis occupying those spots. While Yariel Rodríguez can spot-start for the Jays, it’s been reported that they would like to sign a starter to push him to the bullpen.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Of course, the Jays were rumoured to be interested in the top pitching free agent, Corbin Burnes. <a href="https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/1872891913520726260">Reportedly, the Jays along with the San Francisco Giants, offered him more money</a> than the Arizona Diamondbacks, the the team he ended up signing with.</span>
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&nbsp;

<span style="font-weight: 400;">That begs the question, who should the Jays set their sights on to fill the final spot in the rotation?</span>
<h2><b>Jack Flaherty</b></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Jack Flaherty is arguably the best starter remaining on the market. Between the Detroit Tigers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, the 29-year-old posted a 3.17 ERA and a 3.48 FIP in 162 innings pitched, helping the Dodgers win their fourth World Series.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">For his career, he has a 3.63 ERA and a 3.91 FIP in 829.2 innings pitched, with a 27.4 K% and an 8.5 BB%, pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals, the Baltimore Orioles, the Tigers, and the Dodgers.</span>

https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1849985329257763318

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Next season, he’s projected to have a 3.84 ERA and a 3.84 FIP in 170 innings pitched according to Fangraphs’ Steamer projection. Moreover, he’s projected to have a 25.2 K% and a 7.6 BB%, with the K% being well below the 29.9 K% he had in 2024.</span>
<h2><b>Nick Pivetta</b></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">The Boston Red Sox offered Nick Pivetta a qualifying offer, which he promptly declined. Well, because of that, the Canadian right-handed starters market has been slow to develop, <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1869176479315370104">with the Blue Jays apparently having interest in him</a>.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Last season, the 31-year-old had a 4.14 ERA and a 4.07 FIP in 145.2 innings pitched, with a 28.9 K% and a 6.1 BB%. It was a good season, but was it worth giving him a qualifying offer? Probably not.</span>

https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1837903670492438833

<span style="font-weight: 400;">For his career, he has a 4.76 ERA and a 4.36 FIP in 1029.1 innings pitched with a 26 K% and a 6.1 BB%. Steamer predicts he’ll post a 3.93 ERA and a 3.86 FIP in 162 innings pitched, with a 27 K% and a 7.6 BB%.</span>
<h2><b>José Quintana</b></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">If the Jays want to add a back-end for the rotation starter who could eat innings, José Quintana could be a good option for them.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The 35-year-old posted a 3.75 ERA and a 4.56 FIP in 170.1 innings pitched with the New York Mets in 2024, with an 18.8 K% and an 8.8 BB%. For his career, Quintana has a 3.74 ERA and a 3.70 FIP in 1969.2 innings pitched, playing for the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals.</span>

https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1844146451183698368

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Quintana’s projections see him posting a 4.34 ERA and a 4.41 FIP in 171 innings pitched, with an 18.4 K% and an 8.4 BB%. Of the four locks in the Blue Jays rotation, that would be the worst ERA and the second-worst FIP.</span>
<h2><b>Andrew Heaney</b></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">One thing that Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt, and Bowden Francis have in common is that they’re a right-handed pitcher. To add some balance to the rotation, the Jays could look to add a left-handed pitcher such as Andrew Heaney.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Last season with the Texas Rangers, the 33-year-old had a 4.28 ERA and a 4.04 FIP in 160 innings pitched, with a 22.9 K% and a 5.9 BB%. For his career, Heaney has a 4.45 ERA and a 4.37 FIP in 1014.1 innings pitched, with a 24.7 K% and a 6.9 BB%.</span>

https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1831139445627564399

<span style="font-weight: 400;">As for his projection, Steamer predicts he’ll have a 4.25 ERA and a 4.31 FIP in 158 innings pitched, with a 22.3 K% and a 7.3 BB%. He certainly wouldn’t be the worst option for the Blue Jays to add this off-season.</span>

<hr />

<i><span style="font-weight: 400;">As always, you can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.</span></i>

<hr />

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Looking at starters the Blue Jays could add for the final spot in the rotation

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (18) celebrates after scoring the winning run on a double by right fielder Jorge Soler (12, not pictured) as Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman (23)walks off the field during the ninth inning at Angel Stadium.

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